ml  Report  of  an  Inquiry 


AS  TO 


=i_Works  Committees 


MADE  BY  BRITISH  MINISTER 
OF  LABOR 


REPRINTED  BY 

INDUSTRIAL  RELATIONS  DIVISION 
UNITED  STATES  SHIPPING  BOARD 
EMERGENCY  FLEET  CORPORATION 

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Report  of  an  Inquiry 


AS  TO 


Works  Committees 


MADE  BY  BRITISH  MINISTER 
OF  LABOR 


Propj 
Univ. 

Lil 


REPRINTED  BY 

INDUSTRIAL  RELATIONS  DIVISION 
UNITED  STATES  SHIPPING  BOARD 
EMERGENCY  FLEET  CORPORATION 

1919 


63108 


1 


^TZ^ 


'-X   (  :j 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

I.      Introduction     7 

fe    II.     ( )rigins  and  Influence  of  War  Developments 13 

III.     Constitution    17 

W .     Procedure    22 

\ .     Functions 28 

W.     Relations  with  Trade  Unions   37 

\\\.     General  Considerations   42 

Appendices — 

■  I. — Questionnaire  used  in  Enquiry   47 

II. — Report  upon  Individual  Works  Committees,  &c.  .  50 


^ 


-*  III.- — Summary  of  a  District  Investigation 112 

IV. — Joint  Committee  on  Absenteeism 114 

\'. — National  and  District  .Schemes — Shop  Stewards.  .    120 

W. — -Whitley  Report — Supplementary  Report  on  Works 

Committees    126 

\'TI. — Scheme  of  Local  loint  Pits  Committees 130 


PREFACE 

Owing  to  the  great  changes  in  industry  wliich  the  war  has  pro- 
duced, particularly  in'  engineering,  the  need  fdr  closer  relations  between 
employer  and  workmen  has  become  increasingly  felt.  The  old  trade 
union  machinery  has  often  been  overburdened  and  has  not  always 
sufficed  to  deal  wath  the  innumerable  questions  arising  from  day  to  day 
in  the  shops.  These  conditions  have  encouraged  the  growth  of  Works 
Committees  as  a  means  of  direct  and  constant  communication  between 
employer  and  workmen,  and  as  the  formation  of  such  Committees  in 
industries  wdiere  the  conditions  recjuire  or  favour  them  has  been  rec- 
ommended by  the  Whitley  Committee  as  part  of  the  industrial  organ- 
isation of  the  future,  it  was  thought  that  it  would  be  useful  to  collect 
particulars  of  existing  Works  Committees  and  to  publish  them  for  the 
information  of  those  who  might  be  interesed  in  the  matter. 

The  following  report  is  based  on  an  enquiry  made  by  members 
of  the  Department  as  to  the  constitution  and  working  of  Works  Com- 
mittees in  a  number  of  different  industries,  including  Engineering, 
Shipbuilding,  Iron  and  Steel,  Boot  and  Shoe,  Mining,  Printing, 
Woollen  and  Worsted,  Pottery,  and  Furniture.  The  enquiry  did  not 
aim  at  being  exhaustive,  but  an  attempt  was  made  to  examine  carefully 
typical  committees  in  the  chief  industries  where  they  were  known  to 
exist,  with  a  view  to  bringing  out  the  different  objects,  functions, 
methods  of  procedure,  and  constitutions  which  have  been  tried  in 
actual  practice.  The  opinions  of  those  interested  in  the  Committees, 
on  the  side  both  of  the  management  and  of  the  workmen,  have  been 
sought,  and  the  sincere  thanks  of  the  Department  are  due  to  Directors, 
Managers,  Trade  Union  officials,  Shop  Stewards,  and  others  for  their 
courtesy  and  the  trouble  they  have  taken  to  help  the  enquiry  at  a  time 
when  all  were  burdened  by  the  extra  duties  imposed  on  them  by  the 
war.  Our  special  thanks  are  also  due  to  the  Ministry  of  ^Munitions  of 
War  and  the  Admiralty  Shipyard  Labour  Department,  and  to  those 
individuals,  firms.  Committees  and  Associations  who  have  given  per- 
mission for  the  publication  of  the  particulars  of  Works  Committees 
which  appear  in  the  Appendices. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  draw  any  general  conclusions  or  to 
sketch  any  ideal  form  of  Works  Committee.     The  object  aimed  at  has 


been  to  present  the  facts  as  accurately  as  possible,  to  point  out  the 
various  difficulties  which  have  been  encountered  and  the  various 
methods  which  have  been  devised  to  meet  them.  In  this  way  it  was 
hoped  that  this  Report  might  be  of  some  value  as  furnishing  guidance 
and  suggestions  to  those  who  are  concerned  with  working  out  the  prob- 
lem of  Works  Committees  for  their  own  industry  or  their  own 
establishment. 

Since  this  volume  was  prepared,  the  Whitley  Committee  have 
issued  their  Third  Report  which  deals  with  Works  Committees  and 
which  recommends  the  collection  of  information  regarding  existing 
Works  Committees.     This  Report  is  printed  as  Appendix  VI. 

D.  J.  SHACKLETON. 
Ministry  of  Labour. 
March,  1918. 


WORKS  COMMITTEES 


I.— INTRODUCTION. 

The  extent  of  the  existence  of  Works  Committees  hefore  the  war 
is  largely  a  matter  of  definition.  Our  estimate  of  their  scope  will  vary 
according  as  we  give  the  term  a  wide  interpretation,  or  confine  it  to 
committees  representative  of  all  the  workpeople  in  an  establishment. 
Works  Committees  in  this  latter  sense  of  the  term  existed  before  the 
war  in  various  industries,  and  in  some  instances  they  had  been  in 
existence  for  many  years.  If  the  term  is  interpreted  in  a  wide  sense, 
and  taken  to  include  various  kinds  of  committees,  such  as  those  repre- 
sentative of  individual  trades  or  departments,  or  those  which  have 
come  into  existence  at  particular  times  and  for  limited  purposes,  the 
number  in  existence  before  the  war  is  greatly  increased.*  In  certain 
industries,  however,  notably  engineering,  the  conditions  of  war  have 
produced  such  a  change  in  both  the  form  and  function  of  workshop 
organisation  that  the  discussion  of  the  general  idea  of  Works  Com- 
mittees may  be  said  to  have  developed  out  of  those  conditions.  Since, 
however,  the  Works  Committee,  on  the  whole,  springs  from  the  com- 
mon methods  of  trade  union  organisation  inside  the  workshop,  as  they 
existed  long  before  the  beginning  of  the  war,  some  reference  to  these 
methods  is  necessary  as  an  introduction  to  this  report  upon  some  of 
the  committees  which  are  now  in  operation. 

Before  this  works  organisation  is  considered,  it  may  be  noted  that 
certain  of  the  immediate  causes  which  have  led  to  the  rise  of  works 
committees  during  the  war — the  methods  of  remuneration  (piecework 
or  profit-sharingf  or  bonus  on  output),  welfare,  collections  for  charity, 
and,  to  some  extent,  dilution  also — were  already  operative  in  the 
formation  of  earlier  Works  Committees. 
Works  Committees  before  the  War. 

The  majority  of  Trade  Unions  have  official  shop  stewards,  though 
these  officials  may  be  known  by  some  other  name — such  as  "shop  dele- 
gates," "works  representatives,"  "collectors,"  "yard  committee-men," 
or,  in  one  case  at  least,  "works  directors."  In  certain  cases  also  the 
name  committee —  Watch  or  Vigilant  Committee — is  attached  to  the 
bodv  of  shop  stewards  in  an  establishment.  It  may  even  be  said  that 
the   Works    Committee   is  older   than   trade   unionism ;   the   "chapel," 


*  For  an  explanation  of  the  various  terms  used  for  dififerent  forms  of 
workshop  organisation  see  see  under  Nomenclature,  p.  12. 

t  For  some  examples  of  committees  in  a  variety  of  industries  which  in  1894 
were  concerned  with  schemes  for  Profit-Sharing  or  Co-operative  Production 
see  Report  on  Profit  Sharing  by  Mr.  D.  F.  Schloss    (C-7458.) 

7 


for  instance,  ( tlie  ancient  organisation  of  the  workmen  in  each  print- 
ing office),  goes  back  much  farther  than  the  end  of  the  17th  century.* 
Such  shop  ckibs  were  not  confined  to  any  one  industry.  They  were, 
however,  quite  different  things  from  a  works  organisation  formed  of 
representatives  of  permanent  Trade  Unions,  and  would  now  be  repre- 
sented by  a  committee  of  workers,  in  a  non-Union  shop.  To-day  the 
duties  of  the  "chapel,"  as  laid  down  in  the  rules  of  various  unions  in 
the  industry,  include  those  discharged  by  shop  stewards  in  many  other 
trades.  Apart  from  ( 1  )  functions  obviously  intended  to  sustain  the 
fabric  of  the  Trade  Union — the  collection  of  dues,  the  interrogation 
of  defaulters  and  newcomers,  and  the  like — the  duties  of  shop  stewards 
are  stated  in  the  rules  of  different  Unions  to  include  (2)  the  regular 
supply  to  the  branch  or  district  committee  of  information  respecting 
any  encroachment  upon  recognised  Trade  Union  conditions,  participa- 
tion in  deputations  to  the  management  in  connection  with  grievances,t 
the  calling  of  shop  meetings  of  the  members  to  discuss  grievances,  &c. 
The  stewards  are  in  one  case  held  "responsible  for  the  conduct  of  the 
shop  according  to  rules."  The  actual  degree  of  organization  of  the  shop 
stewards  varies  among  the  Trade  Unions.  In  some  cases  all  the  shop 
stewards  of  a  Union  in  a  district  hold  regular  meetings  once  a  month 
with  the  district  conmiittee  of  the  Union.  Certain  Unions  supply  their 
shop  stewards  with  official  cards.  In  other  cases,  however,  there  is  no 
regular  machinery  for  consultation  between  the  shop  stewards  and  the 
Union  officials,  and  no  certificates  of  official  recognition  are  supplied 
to  the  shop  stewards.  There  is  variety  also  in  regard  to  the  election 
and  the  deposition  of  shop  stewards ;  some  hold  office  for  a  definite 
period,  while  others  may  be  deposed  at  any  time.  Most  commonly 
the  election  is  made  in  the  department  by  the  men  of  the  Union,  though 
there  are  cases  in  which  appointment  to  the  office  is  made  by  Trade 
Union  branches. 

(1)  In  regard  to  the  first-mentioned  duties  of  .shop  stewards — 
the  collection  of  subscriptions  and  the  examination  of  credentials  of 
membership — two  facts  may  be  noted.  The  first  is  that  such  methods 
of  organisation  are  not  confined  to  workers  whose  daily  work  is  done 
in  a  fixed  establishment,  but  are  also  used  on  certain  forms  of  more 

*  See  the  appendix  to  Joseph  Moxon's  "Mechanick  Exercises"  published 
in  1683.  The  appendix  headed  "Ancient  Customs  used  in  a  Printing  House" 
tells  us  that  "Every  Printing  house  is,  bv  the  Custom  of  Time  out  of  mind, 
called  a  'Chappel'." 

t  Participation  in  deputations  to  the  management  has  naturally  tended  to 
the  formation  of  committees.  This  may  have  happened  when  representatives 
of  different  trades  joined  together  to  present  common  grievances;  the  manage- 
ment may  again  have  suggested  the  formation  of  a  committee  as  an  alternative 
to  a  number  of  sectional  deputations.  The  appointment  of  deputations  of 
workpeople  to  meet  the  management  is,  of  course,  not  confined  to  trade  unionist 
workmen;  it  has  always  been  a  feature  of  modern  industry  in  both  organised 
and  unorganised  establishments.  In  organised  establishments,  however,  there 
has  always  been  a  tendency  for  the  shop  stewards  to  be  represented  on  such 
deputations. 


or  less  migratory  work,  sucli  as  l)iiil(ling  construction.  The  "ticket" 
steward  commonly  examines  new  men  taken  into  employment  on  a 
building  job.  The  second  fact  to  be  noted  is  that  in  certain  industries, 
in  a  number  of  areas,  a  regular  system  of  Works  Committees,  linked 
together  in  district  organisations,  had  developed  several  years  before 
the  war  for  the  purpose  of  the  more  efficient  achievement  of  thes>^ 
objects.* 

(2)  But  both  in  theory  and  in  practice  the  work  of  shop  stewards 
— or  of  committees  of  shop  stewards — has  generally  extended  beyond 
these  functions.  As  an  example  of  practice,  the  apparently  unsuitable 
case  of  building  work  may  first  be  taken.  Committees — somewhat 
loosely  organised  it  may  be,  l)Ut  nevertheless  committees,  and  so  con- 
sidered by  those  responsible  for  their  formation — have  been  formed 
in  the  building  trade  ;  and  the  scovq  of  these  committees  has  embraced 
the  second  and  wider  class  of  duties  mentioned  above.  It  has  for  years 
been  common  in  certain  districts  for  the  "ticket"  stewards  on  a  big 
building  job  to  come  together,  and  to  elect  a  secretary,  who  in  some 
cases  (it  may  be  noted)  has  been  a  representative  of  the  labourers. 
Such  a  committee  of  stewards  may  make,  representations  to,  or  be 
consulted  by,  the  employer  on  questions  such  as  the  proper  allocation 
of  work  in  order  that  sufficient  inside  operations  may  be  reserved  for 
wet  weather.  Another  question  which  such  committees  have  been 
known  to  bring  forward  is  that  of  extra  payment  in  consequence  of 
the  inconvenient  situation  of  some  particular  job.  (This,  ])erhaps,  is 
strictly  Trade  Union  business.)  In  demanding  adequate  provision  for 
the  heating  of  tea  cans  and  for  the  enjoyment  of  meals  such  committees 
may  be  said  to  have  anticipated  in  their  own  way  the  modern  Welfare 
Committee.  In  many  industries  the  same  combination  of  shop  stewards 
and  the  same  practice  of  making  united  representations  to  the  employer 
— a  practice  not  necessarily  "recognised" — have  been  attempted  at 
different  times  and  with  varying  degrees  of  success.  In  some  cases  in 
which  such  methods  have  been  successfully  applied  in  engineering  and 
j.hipbuilding  the  initiative  has  come  from  the  side  of  the  management. 
It  remains  true,  of  course,  that  the  shop  steward  system  up  to  the 
])resent  has  been  in  the  main  only  a  trade  system,  and  that  the  com- 
mittees formed  under  it  can  be  classed  under  Works  Committees  only 
if  the  term  is  given  the  wide  scope  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this 
report.  If  the  term  is  used  in  this  wider  sense,  committees  will  be 
found  to  have  existed  for  many  years  in  a  number  of  industries  where 
piecework  is  in  operation.  Some  of  these  are  dealt  with  in  a  later 
paragraph. 

Another  of  the  functions  of  shop  stewards — the  calling  of  shop 
meetings — appears  to  form  the  basis  of  a  system  of  Works  Committees 
in  certain  industries,  which  include,  at  anv  rate  in  some  districts,  the 


*  For    example,    the    Cljde    Shipyards    Joint    Trades'    Vigilant    Committee, 
.formed  at  the  beginning  of  1911.    See  p.  122. 

9 


furnishing  trades.  The  shop  meeting,  for  which  the  rules  of  most 
Trade  Unions  make  provision,  is  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  a 
Union ;  but  the  term  has  another  meafiing  which  has  gained  currency 
during  the  war — viz.,  a  meeting  of  all  the  trades  in  a  works — and  it 
is  interesting  to  note  that,  in  part,  at  least,  of  the  furnishing  industry, 
this  has  long  been  the  recognised  meaning.  Here  the  meetings  are 
regular  (monthly),  and  the  stewards,  not  necessarily  drawn  from  all 
the  trades,  make  their  report  about  membership  and  the  like.  The 
shop  stewards  in  a  furnishing  w^orks  may  in  this  way  form  a  Works 
Committee  with  a  secretary.  At  the  same  time  it  w^ould  appear  that 
for  the  settlement  of  piece  prices  certain  Unions  in  the  furnishing 
trades,  such  as  that  of  the  upholsterers,  work  through  their  own  shop 
stewards.* 

Committees  for  the  arrangement  of  piece  prices,  which  are  found 
in  a  great  variety  of  industries,  are  convenient  examples  of  (a)  trade 
or  departmental  organisation  as  contrasted  with  works  organisation; 
and  (b)  the  informal  nature  and  composition  of  many  committees. 
In  regard  to  (a),  the  method  of  the  upholsterers  has  already  been 
mentioned.  Usually  there  are  only  a  small  number  of  vipholsterers 
in  any  one  establishment ;  fifteen  would  mean  a  very  considerable  firm. 
In  small  establishments  the  shop  steward  or  stewards  of  the  Union 
usually  carry  through  the  negotiations  for  any  new  work  not  covered 
by  the  shop  "log,"  or  list  of  piece  prices.  If  they  are  unsuccessful,  the 
full-time  Trade  Union  official  comes  into  the  bargaining  operations. 
In  one  establishment,  however,  in  which  an  exceptionally  large  number 
of  upholsterers  are  employed  in  several  departments  or  "floors,"'  the 
Departmental  or  Trade  Committee  has  been  in  existence  for  many  years. 
This  is  composed  of  all  the  stewards— three  elected  from  each  of  the 
"floors" — and  from  this  committee  again  three  head  stewards  are 
chosen.  For  the  particular  work  of  any  floor  the  appropriate  stewards 
undertake  the  preliminary  negotiations;  but  if  these  are  unsuccessful, 
the  question  in  dispute  will  come  before  the  committee,  and  be  dealt 
with  by  the  head  stewards  in  consultation  with  the  management  before 
it  is — probably  with  the  assent  of  a  shop  meeting — given  into  the  hands 
of  the  Trade  Union  official.  The  pottery  industry  supplies  examples 
of  both  (a)  and  (b).  Pricing' Committees  are  found  in  most  sections 
of  the  trade ;  and  there  may  be  several  committees  in  a  single  factory. 
In  the  sanitary  trade  a  standing  committee  is  usual.     In  many  factories, 

*  The  position  in  the  furnishing  trade  is  somewhat  indefinite.  Some  years 
ago  there  would  appear  to  have  been  Joint  Committees  of  employers  and 
employees  in  several  districts,  but  these  have  disappeared.  An  example  will 
be  found  in  the  Eleventh  Report  of  Proceedings  under  the  Conciliation  Act, 
p.  161.  A  system  of  Departmental  Committees  for  the  fixing  of  rates  for  sub- 
normal workers  is  still  in  operation  in  certain  districts,  and  was  more  common 
until  quite  recently,  when  piecework  was  abolished  in  some  areas.  In  a  few 
establishments  these  committees  appear  to  have  been  Works  and  not  Depart- 
mental Committees.  These  committees  are  ad  hoc  bodies,  called  into  being 
for  a  particular  purpose  by  the  shop  steward  (or  stewards)  who  form  the 
element  of  continuity. 

10 


however,  the  method  employed  is  for  tlic  operative  concerned  U)  call 
in  two  or  three  mates  to  assist  him  in  arranging  the  price  of  a  new 
job.  The  men  called  in  need  not  be  the  same  on  each  occasion.  The 
existence  of  several  committees  in  one  factory  may  be  exemplified  by 
an  establishment  in  the  Jet  and  Rockingham  branch  of  the  industry, 
in  which  there  have  been  for  many  years  Pricing  Committees  for 
jiggerers  (makers),  turners  and  handlers.  In  this  case  none  but  Trade 
Unionists  can  sit  on  the  committee ;  but  this  is  by  no  means  a  universal 
rule.  In  works,  however,  in  which  there  are  Trade  Unionists  the 
practice  is  to  elect  to  the  committee  one  (or  more)  of  them,  who  is 
expected  to  serve  as  a  connecting  link  between  the  committee  and  the 
District  Committee  of  the  Trade  Union. 

The  position  of  the  "chapel"  in  relation  to  the  London  compositors' 
scale  is  an  old  and  well-established  case  of  a  works  organisation  taking 
part  among  other  functions  in  the  regulation  of  piecework. 

In  other  trades  in  which  piecework  is  in  operation,  and  where 
complete  standardisation  of  lists  has  been  found  impracticable,  methods 
more  or  less  similar  to  those  mentioned  above  are  found.  In  this  con- 
nection the  development  of  Works  Committees  in  engineering  establish- 
ments during  the  war  is  significant.  The  engineering  trades  have 
always  resisted  piecework ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  they  have  generally 
bargained  on  an  individual  basis  for  any  work  done  on  this  system. 
The  extension  of  piecework  and  the  growth  of  the  method  of  collective 
bargaining  in  the  shop — by  Works  Committees  or  stewards — have  gone 
on  side  by  side ;  and  it  would  appear  that,  to  a  considerable  degree,  the 
one  is  the  immediate  cause  of  the  other.  Even  in  industries  in  which 
price  lists  for  piecework  are  used  there  are  commonly  occasions  on 
which  a  particular  job  is  not  covered  by  the  list,  and  in  certain  cases 
jobs  cannot  be  listed  at  all.  In  this  connection  it  may  be  noted  that  in 
mining  the  method  of  joint  pit  committees — as  well  as  the  Joint  District 
Board — has  been  in  operation  in  certain  districts  for  a  long  time,  and 
the  method  is  embodied  in  the  rules  of  various  districts  under  the  Coal 
Mines  (Minimum  Wage)  Act  of  1912.  In  several  districts  disputes  as 
to  whether  a  workman  has  forfeited  his  right  to  the  minimum  must  be 
discussed  by  two  officials  of  the  mine  and  two  representatives  of  the 
local  lodge  of  the  Union  before  they  are  taken  to  the  district  Joint 
Board  committee,  and  in  one  district  the  representatives  from  each 
side  are  four  in  number. 

The  fact  that  in  many  mining  districts  the  Trade  Union  branch — 
or  lodge — is  composed  only  of  the  men  working  in  one  pit  makes  the 
Lodge  Committee  in  efifect  a  Pit  Committee.*  It  is  not  a  complete 
Works  Committee — in  the  stricter  sense  of  the  term — except  in  those 
places  in  which  the  enginemen  and  certain  other  workers,  who  com- 
monly  belong   to   other   Unions,    are  members   of   the   local    Miners' 

*  Even  where  the  basis  of  the  miners'  branch  is  not  the  pit  but,  say,  the 
village,  each  of  the  several  pits  in  the  village  commonly  has  its  committee. 

11 


association.  Tlu^  tendency  of  certain  other  Unions — c.  g.,  those  in  the 
iron  and  steel  industry — to  organise  on  the  basis  of  the  works  is  inter- 
esting from  the  same  standpoint.* 

It  may  be  noted  that  in  many  cases  Conciliation  T.oards  are  really 
Works  Committees,  l^his  is  so  when  the  joint  board  is  composed  of 
representatives  of  the  workpeople  in  one  establishment  and  of  members 
of  the  firm.  Such  boards — with  varying  degrees  of  connection  between 
the  workmen's  side  and  the  Trade  Unions — have  been  formed  in 
individual  establishments  belonging  to  a  variety  of  industries. 

Xomcuclaturc. 

A  distinction  must  be  drawn  between  "Works  Committees''  and 
"Shop  Committees."  The  former  cover  the  whole  of  a  works  (or  even, 
in  some  cases,  the  whole  of  two  or  three  contiguous  works)  ;  the  latter 
cover  a  particular  department  or  shop  in  a  works.  Among  Works 
Committees  it  is  possible  to  distinguish  three  varieties.  The  first  and 
main  variety  may  be  called  the  "Industrial  Committee."  Such  a  com- 
mittee, generally  constituted  on  a  Trade  Union  basis,  deals  with  par- 
ticular questions  affecting  the  conditions  and  remuneration  of  labour 
in  a  given  works — questions  of  principle  being  reserved  for  the  district 
or  national  organisations  concerned.  It  is  this  variety  which,  bein^^ 
the  most  important,  is  often  called  by  the  general  name  of  Works  Com- 
mittee. A  second  variety  may  be  called  the  "Welfare  Committee." 
Such  a  committee,  representing  as  a  rule  all  the  workers  in  a  given 
works,  deals  with  what  may  be  termed  works  amenities — ventilation, 
sanitation,  and  the  like.  A  third  variety,  which  may  be  merged  with 
the  second,  or  may  be  distinct,  is  the  "Social  Union,"  or,  more  exactly, 
the  committee  governing  the  Social  Union,  where  one  exists,  of  the 
workers  employed  in  the  same  establishment.  Such  a  committee  is 
concerned  with  games,  recreations,  study-circles,  picnics  and  the  like. 

Apart  from  these  main  types  there  are,  of  course,  local  varieties 
of  all  sorts.  There  may  be,  for  instance,  a  separate  "Mess-room  Com- 
mittee" ;  or,  again,  there  may  be  a  separate  "Women's  Committee." 
There  may  be  a  committee  peculiar  to  a  small  section  of  workers 
{e.g.,  tool-makers),  which  handles  a  large  and  important  area  of  func- 
tions in  regard  to  those  workers.  Finally,  even  though  there  is  no 
regular  or  standing  Works  Committees,  it  may  be  the  case  that  com- 
mittees are  created  ad  hoc  whenever  an  important  question  arises  in  a 
works,  and  that  these  committees  are  consulted  by  the '  management 
with  a  view  to  settling  such  questions.  This  indeed  is  the  procedure 
followed  in  some  of  the  works,  where  the  relations  of  management  and 
men  are  most  amicable.  In  some  cases  the  committee  so  formed  con- 
sists of  the  shop  stewards  of  the  separate  trades. 

It  may  be  added  that  some  committees  are  "joint,"  and  embrace 
representatives   of   both   men   and   management,   meeting  together   in 

*  It  may  be  noted  that  the  circumstances  of  industry  in  general  in  the 
18th  and  early  19th  century  made  for  a  greater  correspondence  between  organisa- 
tion bv  locality  and  organisation  by  establishment  than  exists  to-day. 

12 


regular  session;  while  oilu-rs  (and  this  is  the  general  rule)  are  com- 
mittees of  workmen  only,  hut  meet  the  management  from  time  to  time 
( sometimes  regularly,  and  sometimes  occasionally ;  sometimes  directly, 
and  sometimes  through  their  chairman  or  secretary)  to  settle  grievances 
and  to  give  or  receive  information. 

\'arious  names  have  heen  api)lied  to  committees  formed  during  the 
war.  particularly  to  those  formed  to  deal  with  such  questions  as  time- 
keeping. Among  the  names  are  "Workers'  Advisory  IJoard."  "Works' 
Trihunal,"  "A'igilant  Committee."  and  "Works'  Council.'"* 

II.— ORIGINS  AND  INFLUENCE  OF  WAR  DEX'ELOP.MENTS. 

The  causes  which  have  hrought  Works  Committees  into  existence 
during  the  war.  and  the  circumstances  attending  their  origin,  are 
naturally  very  ditTerent.  A  classification  of  origins  may,  however,  he 
attempted  under  the  following  heads : — 

(1)  Shop  stewards. 

(2)  Dilution. 

(3)  Methods  of  remuneration. 

(4)  Timekeeping. 

(5)  W^elfare. 

(6)  War  charity. 

(7)  Other  causes. 

Shop  Stewards. 

To  a  very  considerable  extent  the  first  three  headings  must  he 
treated  together.  This  is  particularly  true  of  engineering  works.  It 
has  already  been  pointed  out  that  shop  stewards  with  a  considerable 
range  of  duties  were  a  normal  feature  of  Trade  Union  organisation 
before  the  war.  It  has  also  been  seen  that,  though  for  the  most  part 
these  stewards  acted  only  for  their  own  separate  organisations,  this 
was  not  their  only  method  of  operation.  One  efifect  of  the  war  has 
been  to  enhance  the  position  and  prestige  of  the  shop  stewards.  The 
loss  of  the  right  to  strike  has  depressed  the  position  of  Trade  L'nion 
officials,  who  were  thus  deprived  of  the  chief  weapon  they  controlled 
and,  if  thev  had  organised  strikes,  would  have  been  lial)le  to  prosecution. 
Under  these  conditions  the  shop  stewards,  more  unknown  and  there- 
fore less  exposed,  began  to  exercise  more  power.  Nor  was  this  all. 
In  an  industry  such  as  engineering,  questions  of  dilution  and,  again,  of 
payment  bv  results  raised  matters  of  detail  which  needed  some  shop 
machinery  for  their  solution.  Such  (|uestions  often  concerned  the 
members    of    several    Unions    in    the    same    establishment :    and    the 


*  "Works  Committee."  it  may  l)e  noted,  is  sometimes  taken  to  mean  only 
a  Joint  Committee  of  management  and  employees.  The  name  is  not  used  in 
this  narrow  sense  in  this  report.  "Shop  Committee"  is  sometimes  used  in  the 
sense  in  which  "Works  Committee"  is  defined  above,  i.  c,  for  a  committee 
coverinu   not  merely  a  department  hut  the  whole  of  a  works. 

13 


common  interest  of  men  working  side  by  side  often  led  to  concerted 
action.  Though  many  Works  Committees  instituted  during  the  war  can 
be  traced  to  one  or  other  of  these  sources,  and  though  most  of  the  com- 
mittees thus  called  into  existence  may  be  said  to  have  worked  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  grades  of  workpeople,  it  is  true  that  in  certain  cases 
the  question  of  dilution  has  produced  committees  of  shop  stewards  with 
conflicting  interests.  In  certain  places  two  committees  have  been 
formed,  one  composed  of  the  shop  stewards  of  the  skilled  trades,  and 
the  other  confined  to  the  stewards  of  the  Unions  representing  the 
unskilled  and  semi-skilled  men. 

It  may  be  added  that  this  tendency  among  workpeople  to  bring 
their  organisation  more  closely  to  bear  upon  workshop  conditions  is  to 
be  seen  in  industries  which  have  been  much  less  afifected  by  the  war 
than  engineering.  The  tendency  preceded,  l)ut  has  been  strengthened 
by  the  war. 

Dilution. 

To  gain  the  consent  of  the  National  Unions  was  not  in  itself 
enough  to  settle  the  question  of  dilution ;  for  it  is  obvious  that  in  a 
complicated  trade  such  as  engineering,  with  its  many  varieties,  ques- 
tions of  detail  might  arise  in  almost  every  works  which  needed  some 
machinery  for  their  solution.  This  has  led  to  the  introduction  of 
Dilution  Committees  in  many  establishments.  These  committees,  con- 
sisting of  representatives  of  the  workers  (mainly,  of  course,  the  skilled 
workers),  discuss  with  the  management  on  what  machines  or  proc- 
esses, to  what  extent,  and  under  what  conditions  dilution  shall  be 
introduced.  Committees  of  this  character,  dealing  with  an  important 
range  of  economic  questions,  have  often  been  led  to  raise  other  ques- 
tions than  that  of  dilution,  and  to  bring  forward  for  discussion  with 
the  management,  with  which  they  were  being  brought  into  constant 
contact  by  the  problems  of  dilution,  questions  and  grievances  of  a  gen- 
eral character.  Sometimes  the  committee  has  remained  in  name  a 
Dilution  Committee,  while  it  was  in  reality  a  Works  Committee.  Some- 
times a  definite  change  has  been  made,  and  the  Dilution  Committee, 
with  more  or  less  change  in  its  composition,  has  been  turned  into  a 
Works  Committee.  In  any  case,  the  problem  of  dilution  has  been  one 
of  the  most  potent  forces  in  forwarding  the  movement  towards  Works 
Committees.  Though  there  has  been  a  marked  tendency  for  Dilution 
Committees  to  develop  into  Works  Committees,  it  may  be  noted  that  in 
one  or  two  cases  the  Dilution  Committee  was  formed  after,  and  as  a 
sub-committee  of,  the  Works  Committee. 

The  importance  of  the  connection  between  a  Works  Committee 
and  the  Trade  Unions  is  indicated  by  complaints  that  Dilution  Commit- 
tees' negotiations  have  violated  Trade  Union  agreements. 

14 


Methods  of  Rciiinncration. 

One  of  the  necessities  of  the  war  has  been  to  increase  output ;  and 
one  method  which  suggested  itself  for  this  purpose  was  that  of  pay- 
ment by  results  in  trades  where  timework  was  the  normal  practice.  In 
many  trades  any  system  of  piecework  is  very  unpopular,  and.  in  the 
past,  has  been  strongly  opposed.  This  is  true  of  engineering,  where 
the  Unions  had  left  any  piecework  which  was  introduced  to  the  con- 
trol of  individual  bargaining.  The  rapid  extension  of  piecework  in 
such  trades  has  led  to  a  variety  of  forms  of  collective  bargaining.  In 
some  establishments  a  new  piece-price  is  submitted  to  the  Works  Com- 
mittee before  it  is  discussed  with  the  individual  workman.  In  others 
an  Appeals  Committee  has  been  instituted  to  consider  and  bring  for- 
w^ard  complaints  against  piece-prices  or  premium  bonus  times  fixed  by 
the  management.  In  others,  again,  something  on  the  lines  previously 
mentioned  as  existing  in  parts  of  the  pottery  industry  has  been  devel- 
oped ;  and  prices  have  been  discussed,  not  with  the  individual  work- 
man, but  wnth  the  workman  and  two  or  three  of  his  mates  on  similar 
work.  In  other  establishments  various  forms  of  collective  or  group 
bonus  on  output  (or  output  value)  have  been  adopted;  and  in  some  of 
these  cases  committees  have  been  formed  either  temporarily,  in  order 
to  discuss  the  introduction  of  the  new  method,  or  permanently,  in  order 
to  supervise  its  working.  In  other  cases  committees  have  been  formed 
to  deal  with  timekeeping  bonuses  or  profit-sharing  schemes.* 

Committees  connected  with  methods  of  remuneration  are  not,  in 
themselves.  Works  Committees  proper.  They  may  be  committees  rep- 
resenting only  a  small  section  of  the  establishment  {c.  g.,  the  tool- 
makers),  while  the  rest  of  the  workmen  in  the  establishment  are  not 
concerned  and  are  represented  by  no  committee.  They  may,  again,  be 
partial  in  scope  as  well  as  in  membership,  and  deal  with  no  other  mat- 
ters than  that  of  a  bonus.  This,  however,  is  unlikely  and  seems 
unusual.  A  committee  connected  with  a  bonus  system  often  comes  to 
embrace  a  wider  scope,  and  will  bring  forward,  or  be  consulted  by  the 
management  about,  other  matters. 

Timekeeping. 

Committees  whose  sole  function,  or  one  of  whose  main  functions, 
is  the  improvement  of  timekeeping,  have  been  instituted  in  the  coal 
mining  industry,  at  the  iron  works  in  Cleveland  and  Durham,  and  in  a 
number  of  engineering  and  munitions  factories.  The  Pithead,  or  Out- 
jput,  or  Absentee,  Committees,  as  they  are  variously  called,  commonly 
Ideal  with  the  negligence   of   mine   olificials  as  well  as  with  cases  of 


*  A  great  variety  of  bonus  schemes  is  in  operation  in  munitions  factories, 
many  of  which  are  not  understood  by  the  workpeople  concerned.  It  would 
appear  to  be  necessary  that  not  only  should  there  be  a  committee  to  supervise 
such  schemes,  but  that  a  "Particulars  Clause"  should  be  made  obligatory  on 
the  employer.  Arbitration  awards  have  in  individual  cases  made  one  or  both 
of  these  methods  of  control  part  of  their  findings. 

15 


absenteeism.     The  committees  at  the  Cleveland  and  Durham  blast  fur- 
naces are  confined  to  the  one  function  of  improvement  of  timekeeping. 

Welfare. 

The  strain  of  the  war  has  introduced  conditions  which  have  made 
it  necessary  to  consider  ways  of  promoting  the  physical  welfare  of  the 
workers.  Long  hours  have  been  worked;  night  shifts  have  been  added 
to  day  shifts;  workshops  have  sometimes  been  crowded;  the  intro- 
duction of  women  workers  by  the  side  of  men,  in  occupations  where 
women  had  not  previously  been  employed,  has  raised  a  number  of 
questions.  Matters  such  as  the  best  distribution  of  working  hours,  the 
provision  of  canteens  and  mess-rooms,  and  the  improvement  of  ventila- 
tion and  sanitation,  have  all  demanded  attention.  On  such  matters, 
where  the  interest  of  the  workers  is  paramount,  the  simplest  course  is 
olwiously  to  consult  them,  and  to  receive  their  complaints  and  sugges- 
tions through  their  own  accredited  representatives.  This  course  has 
been  adopted  in  a  number  of  establishments ;  and  the  result  has  been 
the  institution  of  a  Welfare  Committee,  which  has  eased  the  situation 
by  removing,  or  preventing  the  rise  of,  a  number  of  grievances.  The 
workmen  have  thus  been  allowed  a  voice  in  regard  to  the  conditions 
under  which  they  labour,  and  these  Welfare  Committees,  though  they 
can  hardly  be  called  Works  Committees,  may  be  said  to  prepare  the 
ground.  They  serve  to  engender  something  of  a  spirit  of  community 
in  the  works,  and  to  help  the  workmen  to  feel  that  they  have  a  com- 
mon interest  as  workers  in  the  same  establishment. 

JVar  Charity. 

In  several  cases  (for  instance  in  the  Glasgow  district)  committees 
have  been  formed  to  administer  funds  raised  in  the  works  for  the  pur- 
pose of  helping  dependents  of  workmen  who  have  joined  the  Colours. 
These  committees  form  a  germ  which  may  develop,  and  here  and  there 
has  developed,  into  Works  Committees  capable  of  entertaining  griev- 
ances or  raising  general  questions  and  bringing  them  to  the  notice  of 
the  management.  Where  the  firm  has  subscribed  to  the  works'  fund, 
and  has  been  represented  on  the  Committee  of  Management,  the 
nucleus  of  a  Joint  Committee  is  obviously  present. 

Other  Causes.* 

In  much  the  same  way  committees  formed  in  an  establishment  for 
social  purposes  prepare  the  ground,  if  they  do  nothing  more,  for  the 
institution  of  Works  Committees.  They  help  to  create  the  habit  of 
common  action  through  representatives;  and  accustoming  the  men  of 
different  crafts  and  different  Unions  to  act  together  for  purposes  of  a 
social  nature,  they  gradually  lead  to  the  adoption  of  the  idea  that  a 

*The  effect  of  the  Whitley  Report  may  also  be  noted.  This  influence  has 
led  to  the  formation  of  committees  in  several  individual  establishments.  See 
also  the  scheme  for  the  Lancashire  coal  mines  in  Appendix  VII,  p.  130. 

16 


certain  range  of  industrial  questions  may  be  treated  in  the  same  way. 
In  some  of  the  best  establishments  which  have  recently  instituted 
Works  Committees  the  success  of  these  committees  is  largely  attributed 
to  the  work  which  committees  of  a  social  character  have  done  in  pre- 
paring the  ground. 

It  is  believed  that  the  ways  indicated  are  those  in  which  Works 
Committees  have  mainly  tended  to  arise.  In  a  subject  of  such  variety, 
however,  it  is  impossible  to  make  any  exhaustive  enumeration.  Often 
the  institution  of  a  Works  Committee  is  due  to  the  initiative  of  an 
employer  or  manager  who  desires  to  give  the  workpeople  a  larger  con- 
trol over  working  conditions  or  who  finds  that  his  task  is  greatly  eased 
if  he  can  deal  with  an  accredited  representative  of  the  workmen. 
Sometimes  a  committee  may  have  arisen  in  connection  with  a  particular 
dispute  and  for  negotiating  a  settlement,  and  may  then,  in  the  issue,  be 
adopted  as  a  permanent  mode  af  working.  In  certain  cases  during  the 
war,  as  before-  it,  the  creation  of  a  Works  Committee  has  been  one  of 
the  terms  of  settlement  of  a  dispute. 

III.— COXSTITUTIOX. 

The  constitution  of  a  Works  Committee  naturally  varies  with  its 
functions.  A  Welfare  Committee,  handling  questions  in  which  the 
difference  between  unionist  and  non-unionist  workmen,  or  again  the 
difference  between  dififerent  Unions  of  workmen,  hardly  arises,  will 
tend  to  be  composed  of  representatives  of  all  the  workers,  elected 
without  regard  to  dififerences  of  craft  or  grade  or  occupation.  An 
Industrial  Committee,  handling  as  it  does  questions  in  which  differences 
of  skill  or  of  craft  are  concerned,  will  involve  a  new  range  of  consid- 
erations. It  may  be  necessary  to  consider  the  relation  of  such  a  com- 
imittee,  if  one  is  instituted,  to  the  existing  industrial  organisation  of  the 
workmen  in  the  w^orks  in  the  shape  of  shop  stewards  or  delegates ;  and, 
again,  it  may  be  necessary  to  consider  whether  management  and  labour 
should  sit  together  as  a  Joint  Committee  (and,  if  so,  in  what  propor- 
tions), or  whether  the  Works  Committee  should  be  one  of  workers 
only,  with  opportunities  of  ready  access  to  the  management — and  ulti- 
mately, it  may  be,  to  the  directors — when  such  access  is  desired. 

The  last  point  may  be  taken  first.  Joint  Committees  are  rare.* 
There  are  some  committees  of  this  nature,  containing  two  or  three 
representatives  of  the  management  and  about  a  dozen  representatives 
oi  the  workmen,  which  meet  at  regular  intervals — in  one  case  from 
week  to  week,  but  more  often  at  longer  intervals.  Even  when  the 
ommittee  is  a  Joint  Committee,  however,  some  provision  has  gener- 
ally to  be  made   for  separate  meetings  of  the  representatives  of  the 


*  This  statement  applies  to  committees  whose  work  is  not  strictly  limited  to 
)ne  or  two  functions.  The  actual  number  of  Joint  Committees  is  large  if  we 
nclude  the  "Absentee"  Committees  at  coal  mines  and  the  Timekeeping  Com- 
nittees  at  ironworks. 

17 


workers;  and,  as  a  rule,  Works  Committees  appear  to  be  committees 
of  the  workers  only,  with  regular  facilities  for  consultation  with  the 
management,  either  at  fixed  intervals  or  whenever  occasion  arises. 
Joint  Committees  may  ultimately  come  to  be  the  normal  form,  but  in 
the  preliminary  stage  of  development  it  seems  likely  that  committees  of 
workers  only,  with  regular  facilities  for  access  to  the  management, 
will  generally  be  the  form  adopted. 

Where  the  committee  is  a  Joint  Committee,  the  idea  of  the  joint 
meeting  is  probably  first  mooted  by  the  management;  and  unless  the 
workers'  side  is  already  in  existence  the  management  may  suggest  the 
basis  of  composition  and  the  methods  of  election  of  the  committee. 
Where,  however,  the  committee  is  a  committee  of  workmen  only,  it  is 
advisable  (whether  the  idea  of  such  a  committee  is  suggested  by  the 
management  or  develops  spontaneously  among  the  workmen),  that  the 
workmen  should  be  left  to  determine  the  basis  of  its  composition  and 
the  method  of  its  election  for  themselves. 

Two  main  methods  appear  to  prevail  in  regard  to  the  composition 
of  a  Works  Committee  of  the  second  type  mentioned  above. 

(a)  The  committee  may  be  elected  by  all  the  workmen  employed, 
each  department  or  shop  being  treated  as  a  constituency,  and  returning 
a  number  of  members,  perhaps  in  proportion  to  its  size.  This  appears 
to  be  the  simplest  method  and  is  found  even  in  works  in  which  the 
workers  have  already  an  industrial  organisation  in  the  shape  of  shop 
stewards  or  delegates.*  This  is  the  case  in  most  works,  and  in  such 
cases  it  may  be  advisable  to  build  on  the  existing  organisation.  This 
brings  us  to  the  second  main  possibility. 

(b)  The  committee  may  be  a  committee  of  the  shop  stewards  of 
the  dififerent  Unions  represented  in  the  works,  or.  in  a  large  works 
where  shop  stewards  are  numerous,  a  committee  elected  by  the  shop 
stewards.  In  one  works,  for  instance,  which  employs  about  3,000 
workmen,  the  Works  Committee  (in  this  case  a  Joint  Committee)  con- 
tains 12  representatives  of  the  workmen  elected  by  the  shop  stewards 
(some  40  in  number)  of  the  various  Unions  represented  in  the  works. 
In  another  works  a  committee  of  seven  shop  stewards  meets  the  man- 
agement monthly  and  discusses  questions  which  its  members'  and  the 
management  have  asked  to  have  placed  on  the  agenda. 

The  two  methods  which  have  just  been  described  represent  the 
two  possibilities  at  either  end  of  the  scale ;  but  various  methods  may 
be  employed  which  combine,  or  come  as  it  w^ere  between,  these  two 
possibilities.  Even  where  the  committee  is  elected  by  all  the  workmen, 
unionist  or  non-unionist,  voting  by  departments,  the  tendency,  if  the 
works  is  strongly  unionist,  is  towards  the  election  of  representatives 

*  This  method  of  departmental  election  commonly  results  in  a  committee, 
all  the  members  of  which  are  shop  stewards.  But  even  when  this  is  so,  a 
majority  of  the  shop  stewards  may  n6t  be  on  the  committee;  and  the  members 
may  be  drawn  from  a  minority  of  the  Unions. 

18 


who  are  all  unionists  and  are  also,  either  altogether  or  in  part,  shop 
stewards  of  their  Unions.  In  one  works  with  4,000  workmen  the 
Works  Committee  of  21  members,  elected  by  a  general  vote  of  the 
men  workers,  is  entirely  composed  of  shop  stewards.  In  another 
works,  with  3,500  workmen,  in  which  a  Works  Committee  has  existed 
for  about  10  years,  all  the  workmen  in  any  department  may  vote,  but 
only  unionist  workmen  can  be  elected,  and  half  of  the  members  of  the 
Works  Committee  are  shop  stewards. 

Another  method  which  deserves  special  notice  is  that  of  election 
on  the  basis  of  Unions,  all  the  members  of  a  Union  in  the  works  elect- 
ing a  certain  number  of  representatives.  The  number  of  members  to 
which  a  Union  is  entitled  may  vary  in  direct  proportion  (or  in  some 
other  way)  with  its  membership  in  the  works.  Thus,  in  a  scheme 
under  consideration  for  an  engineering  works,  representation  on  this 
basis  gives  seven  members  to  three  General  Labour  Unions,  eight 
members  to  the  largest  Union  of  skilled  men,  two  members  to  each  of 
two  other  Unions  of  skilled  men,  and  one  member  to  each  of  seven 
other  skilled  Unions.  This  method — since  in  an  engineering  establish- 
ment the  members  of  a  Union  may  be  distributed  through  several 
departments,  in  each  of  which  there  may  l)e  a  shop  steward  or  stewards 
of  the  Union — is  not  necessarily  identical  with  that  in  which  the  shop 
stewards  of  the  different  Unions  in  each  department  form  the  commit- 
tee. In  several  iron  and  steel  works  the  method  of  election  appears  to 
be  by  the  members  of  each  branch  of  a  Union  who  are  working  in  the 
establishment. 

In  one  such  case  the  right  to  representation  is  stated  to  belong  to 
the  branch  because  it  has  members  in  the  works.  The  statement,  how- 
ever, is  qualified  in  order  to  cover  the  case  of  a  Trade  Union  branch — 
e.g.,  of  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers  or  the  Bricklayers' 
Union — only  some  of  whose  members  ma}-  be  employed  in  the  particu- 
lar works.  In  their  case  only  the  members  of  the  branch  employed 
in  the-  works  make  the  appointment ;  and  from  the  nature  of  the  case 
the  representativ^o  appointed  is  almost  bound  to  be  the  person  acting 
as  shop  steward  for  the  Union  in  the  works.  This,  combined  with  the 
fact  that  the  branches  of  the  iron  and  steel  Trade  Unions  correspond 
to  sections  or  departments  of  workers  in  a  single  works,  make  such 
branch  representation  similar  to  departmental  representation.  Another 
feature  of  this  system  is  that  the  secretary  of  any  branch  who  is  work- 
ing in  the  establishment — this  is  almost  bound  to  be  the  case  with 
branches  the  membership  of  which  is  confined  to  the  works — is, 
ex  officio,  a  member  of  the  committee.  The  draft  pro])osals  for  repre- 
sentation now  being  discussed  by  the  shipbuilding  trades  in  one  district 
are  to  the  effect  that  each  Works  Committee  should  be  composed  of  a 
certain  number  of  representatives  from  the  men  of  each  trade  or  Union 
employed  in  the  yard,  and  that  among  the  representatives  of  each  trade 
or  Union  one  at  least  should  be  an  official  shop  steward.     Some  of  the 

19 


Unions  in  the  shipbuilding  in(Uistry  include,  it  may  be  noted,  several 
trades,  and  the  official  yard  delegates  (or  shop  stewards)  of  the  several 
trades  in  one  Union  often  form  a  Yard  Committee  for  such  functions 
as  the  inspection  of  Union  cards. 

Other  methods  found  in  practice  are  election  of  all  the  members 
by  the  whole  of  the  employees  in  an  establishment  voting  as  one  con- 
stituency, and  election  by  occupations  or  trades. 

In  some  works  there  is  one  committee  for  skilled  men  and  another 
for  unskilled  or  semi-skilled.  In  several  large  engineering  establish- 
ments, for  instance,  there  are  two  Committees  of  Shop  Stewards,  one 
for  craftsmen,  and  another  for  semi-skilled  men  and  labourers.  Gener- 
ally, however,  there  is  only  one  committee  for  both  sets  of  workmen.* 
The  persons  elected  to  such  a  committee  are  in  certain  cases  drawn 
solely  from  the  ranks  of  the  skilled  craftsmen,  though  there  may  be 
unskilled  men  (and  stewards  of  unskilled  Unions)  in  the  works.  The 
exclusion  of  any  direct  representation  of  the  unskilled  men  in  such  cir- 
cumstances is  generally  due  to  the  same  cause  as  the  absence  of  any 
direct  representation  of  the  smaller  craft  Unions,  z'ia.,  the  fact  that  a 
department's  representative  tends  to  belong  to  the  Union  which  has 
most  members  in  the  department.  There  are  certainly  cases  in  w'hich 
this  apparent  exclusion  of  representation  of  the  interests  of  the 
unskilled  is  a  source  of  friction  between  the  different  classes  of  work- 
ers; and  the  presence  in  some  works  of  separate  committees  is  the 
extreme  expression  of  such  difference  in  interest.  It  is  argued  that  the 
unskilled  men — though  they  may  be  excluded  by  exactly  similar  circum- 
stances— are  in  a  different  position  from  a  minority  of  skilled  men 
who  may  be  excluded  from  direct  representation,  in  that  the  interests 
of  the  latter,  being  akin  to  their  own,  are  better  understood  by,  and 
receive  more  sympathetic  consideration  from,  the  skilled  men  on  the 
committee.  It  would  nevertheless  appear  that  most  committees 
appointed  on  a  departmental  basis  do  succeed  in  representing  fairly  the 
interests  of  all  their  constituents;  and  it  is  claimed  that  the  committee 
member  tends  to  look  upon  himself  not  as  the  representative  of  a  par- 
ticular craft  or  section  in  the  department,  but  as  the  representative  of 
the  department  as  a  whole. 

The  position  of  women  workers  is  in  some  respects  analogous  to 
that  of  unskilled  workmen.     In  some  cases  thev  have  a  vote  for  the 


*A  Works  Committee  in  a  Midlands  munitions  factory  has  just  been 
reconstituted.  Previously  departmental  election  had  produced  a  committee 
all  the  members  of  which  were  skilled  trade  unionists.  The  new  method  gives 
separate  representation  to  (i)  skilled  men,  (ii)  semi-skilled  and  unskilled  men, 
and  (iii)  women  employees.  This  scheme,  advocated  and  carried  through  by 
the  secretary,  who  is  an  official  of  his  own  Union,  is  designed  to  give  all  grades 
in  the  works  an  active  interest  in  the  committee.  It  is  hoped  that  later  the 
separate  representation  of  the  different  grades  in  each  department  may  not  be 
necessary;  previously  the  grades  not  directly  represented  have  not  opposed  the 
committee,  which  has  been  very  successful,  but  they  have  not  shown  as  much 
interest  in  it  as  is  desired. 

20 


Works  Committee  elected  by  the  various  departments,  and  they  may 
have  a  representative  of  their  own  on  that  committee ;  in  other  cases 
representation  is  secured  to  women's  departments  as  such.  Sometimes, 
even  where  women  are  excluded  from  voting,  the  Works  Committee 
may  represent  their  interests ;  and  it  may  entertain  and  bring  before 
the  notice  of  the  management  grievances  of  women  workers  and  ques- 
tions affecting  their  interests  and  the  conditions  of  their  labour.  Occa- 
sionally, though  this  is  rare,  there  is  a  separate  committee  to  represent 
the  interests  of  women  workers. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  is  obvious  that  the  constitution  of  a 
Works  Committee  raises  a  number  of  questions.  ( 1 )  In  the  first  place, 
there  is  the  question  whether  the  committee  should  be  based  on  the 
industrial  organisation  of  shop  stewards,  where  such  organisation  is  in 
existence,  or  should  be  based  on  a  general  vote.  (2)  In  the  next  place, 
assuming  the  latter  alternative  to  be  adopted,  there  is  the  question 
whether  all  the  workers  should  vote,  and,  if  so,  how  the  constituencies 
should  be  arranged,  or  whether  only  unionist  workers  should  vote,  and, 
if  so,  how  and  in  what  proportions  the  different  Unions  should  be  rep- 
resented. (3)  Further,  there  is  the  question  whether  there  should  be  a 
single  committee,  or  one  committee  for  skilled  and  another  for  unskilled 
workers;  and  (4)  finally,  there  is  the  question  whether  women  workers 
should  have  a  separate  committee  or  be  represented  through  the  general 
committee  of  the  works. 

No  general  answer  can  be  given  to  any  or  all  of  these  questions. 
The  circumstances  of  different  works  vary,  and  each  type  has  to  find 
its  own  solution. 

Wherever  it  is  possible,  a  committee  of  shop  stewards  or  Trade 
Union  representatives  would  appear  to  be  the  best  solution.*  At  the 
same  time,  it  is  important  to  secure  that  the  size  of  the  committee, 
while  large  enough  to  be  representative,  should  not  be  so  large  as  to 
make  it  unwieldy,  and  that,  as  far  as  possible,  there  should  be  direct 
representation  of  each  department.  The  size  of  the  committees  actually 
in  existence  varies ;  some  committees  have  12  members,  some  have 
upwards  of  30.     The  smaller  jiumber  seems  more  likely  to  be  effective. 

*  As  will  be  seen  from  the  appendices,  individual  committees  formed  on 
very  different  lines  have  been  in  every  way  successful.  Since,  however,  the 
problem  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  well  organised  industries  is  complicated 
by  the  existence  of  poorly  organised  areas,  a  proposal  under  consideration  by 
a  firm  in  which  considerably  less  than  half  of  the  employees  are  trade  unionists 
may  be  noted.  The  proposal  is  that  the  Works  Committee  should  be  composed 
of  departmental  representatives,  who  will  include  the  shop  stewards,  and  that 
from  this  committee  as  a  whole,  or  from  the  shop  steward  and  the  non-shop 
steward  sections  of  it  separately,  there  should  be  elected  a  small  number  of 
representatives  of  the  workers  to  sit  on  a  Joint  Committee.  The  proposal  was 
made  as  a  means  of  combining  (a)  the  recognition  of  shop  stewards  and  (h)  the 
representation  of  all  the  workpeople  on  the  Joint  Committee,  without  duplication 
of  committees  for  different  functions.  The  firm,  which  rescognises  the  Unions 
and  whose  conditions  are  above  the  district  standards,  intends  that  the  Joint 
Committee  should  deal  with  a  very  wide  range  of  subjects,  only  some  of  which 
are   shop   steward   questions. 

21 


It  may  be  necessary,  therefore,  that  a  Works  Committee,  if  it  contains 
a  large  number  of  members,  should  appoint  a  smaller  committee  of 
itself;  and  that,  while  the  management  should  be  in  regular  contact 
with  the  smaller  committee,  questions  of  difficulty  should  be  referred 
by  the  smaller  committee  to  the  larger,  the  management  meeting  the 
larger  committee  in  case  of  need.  In  its  choice  of  the  smaller  commit- 
tee the  Works  Committee  could  allocate  a  place,  or  a  number  of  places, 
to  each  department  or  group  of  departments.  Another  method  of 
electing  a  committee  of  manageable  size  would  be  that  from  the 
stewards  in  each  department  (or,  in  certain  cases,  groups  of  depart- 
ments) one  should  be  appointed  by  a  general  election  held  in  the 
department  or  by  the  departmental  stewards  themselves.  In  certain 
cases,  in  large  works,  it  may  be  desirable  that  the  stewards  in  each 
department  should  form  Shop  Committees,  with  which  the  general  com- 
mittee could  keep  in  touch  and  from  which  its  members  could  learn  the 
needs  and  the  complaints  of  each  department.  Another  variant  is  that 
sub-committees  instead  of  being  departmental  should  be  functional, 
i.e.,  should  each  deal  with  a  particular  matter  or  set  of  matters  such  as 
dilution,  piecework,  suggestions  of  improvements.  &c.  (Sec  p.  29. 
footnote.) 

The  existing  Works  Committees  have  generally  two  officers,  a 
chairman  and  a  secretary.  The  tenure  of  office  of  the  committee  is 
often  unfixed.  Where  it  is  fixed,  it  may  be  for  six  months  or  for  a 
year.*  A  fixed  tenure,  provided  that  it  is  not  too  short,  seems 
desirable;  a  new  election  will  reinvigorate  the  committee  and  if  the 
workmen  in  general  have  any  feeling  which  the  committee  has  failed  to 
express,  it  will  give  a  chance  for  its  expression. 

The  desirability  of  election  by  secret  ballot  has  been  emphasised  by 
many  employers  and  by  some  Trade  Unionists. 

IV.— PROCEDURE. 
Some  Works  Committees  have  regular  meetings  with  the  manage- 
ment, at  intervals  of  a  week,  a  fortnight  or  a  month.  A  list  of  agenda 
is  circulated  and  regular  minutes  are  kept.  In  one  establishment  where 
this  is  done  the  men's  chairman  presides  at  one  fortnightly  meeting  and 
a  representative  of  the  management  at  the  next.  In  other  cases  the 
meetings  are  not  regular,  but  are  held  whenever  occasion  arises.  Argu- 
ments may  be  used  both  for  and  against  a  system  of  regular  meetings. 
It  may  be  urged  in  their  favour  that  they  provide  a  known  and  regular 
time  for  raising  a  question ;  that  they  enable  questions  to  be  raised  in 
their  initial  stages,  whereas,  if  meetings  are  not  held  until  occasion 
arises,  a  question  may  have  grown  acute  before  a  meeting  is  held  ;  and. 
finally,  that  by  bringing  representatives  of  the  management  and  the 
men  into  constant  contact,   they   accustom   either   side   to  seeing  and 

*  In  certain  exceptional  cases  committee  members  are  elected   monthly  and 
the  secretary  qviarterly. 

22 


understanding  the  point  of  view  of  the  other.  It  may  be  urged,  on  the 
other  hand,  that  if  meetings  are  regular,  and  at  frequent  intervals,  there 
may  often  be  no  business  to  be  done,  and  that  the  ettect  may  be  either 
to  make  the  committee  slack,  or  to  induce  the  more  restless  members 
to  manufacture  business  by  finding  grievances  and  discovering  difficul- 
ties. In  any  case  it  may  be  suggested  that  the  main  thing  is  not  so 
much  regularity  of  meetings,  as  what  may  be  called  the  principle  of  the 
open  door.  If  the  men  know  that  their  representatives  have  access  to 
the  management,  and  if  they  know  that  the  management,  on  its  side, 
is  ready  to  consult  their  representatives,  the  success  of  the  main 
function  of  the  committee  is  secured.  The  number  of  times  at  which 
a  general  Works  Committee  needs  to  meet  the  management  will  vary 
with  the  type  of  works  and  with  the  degree  to  which  sectional  questions 
can  be  handled  by  such  a  committee.  One  committee,  in  an  establish- 
ment in  which  relations  have  always  been  good,  has  met  the  manage- 
ment on  an  average  three  times  a  year  in  the  last  twenty-four  years, 
though  in  the  last  three  years,  owing  to  the  number  of  questions  raised 
by  the  w-ar.  the  average  number  of  meetings  in  each  year  has  been 
seven.  During  the  whole  existence  of  the  committee,  however,  the 
right  of  the  separate  trade  delegates  to  meet  the  management  has  been 
freely  used.  Employers  complain  that  workpeople  tend  to  want  all 
questions  settled  ofifhand,  and  fail  to  realise  that  investigation  may  be 
necessary  ;  and  one  argument  in  favour  of  regular  meetings  is  that  they 
form  a  permanent  and  businesslike  substitute  for  frequent  sectional 
deputations.  There  would  appear  to  be  many  questions  which  can  be 
settled  in. a  more  'satisfactory  way  if  they  are  discussed  and  investigated 
at  regular  joint  meetings.  This  method,  however,  cannot  be  applied 
indiscriminately :  there  will  always  be  matters  of  urgency  which  must 
be  taken  up  as  they  arise ;  and  sectional  questions  may.  in  certain  cases, 
be  better  treated  apart  from  the  regular  meetings  of  a  general  Works 
Committee. 

One  other  caution  may  be  suggested  in  this  connection,  ^^'orks 
Committees  instituted  in  engineering  establishments  during  the  course 
of  the  war  have  naturally  found  abundant  work.  The  same  will 
probably  be  true  of  the  period  of  reconstruction  after  the  end  of  the 
war.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  under  normal  conditions  a  system 
of  weekly  or  fortnightly  meetings  might  prove  unnecessary.  It  may  be 
suggested,  therefore,  that  a  distinction  may  be  drawn,  on  the  point  of 
frequency  of  meetings,  between  what  may  be  called  "the  emergency 
period"  and  the  period  of  normal  conditions. 

Another  question  of  procedure,  which  also  bears  on  the  matter  of 
frequency  of  m.eetings.  is  connected  with  the  position  of  the  secretary 
of  a  Works  Committee.  In  many  establishments  which  have  W'orks 
Committees  a  large  part  of  the  active  work  which  they  entail  is  done 
by  the  secretary.  Difficulties  are  reported  to  him  by  the  w^orkmen  con- 
cerned either  directly  or  through  a  member  of  the  committee,  and  he, 

23 


after  consultation  with  the  committee  (or,  it  may  be.  in  lesser  matters, 
immediately),  brings  the  difficulties  before  the  management.  Such 
difficulties  may  often  be  settled  at  once,  and  their  settlement  simply 
reported  to  the  Works  Committee.  A  great  deal  of  work  may  thus  be 
thrown  upon  the  secretary  in  consulting  the  workmen  concerned,  and 
in  interviewing  the  management,  and  the  position  is  thus  one  which 
offers  a  great  deal  of  scope  to  a  man  of  capacity.  Such  a  man  may 
largely  carry  on  his  shoulders  the  current  work,  and  the  committee  may 
only  need  to  deal  with  larger  questions.  But  the  position  has  its  diffi- 
culties, and  there  are  two  matters  which  deserve  particular  notice.  One 
of  these  is  the  question  of  the  secretary  or  chairman's  moving  about 
the  works  during  working  hours,  and  entering  departments  other  than 
his  own,  for  the  purpose  of  interviewing  any  workman  who  has  pre- 
ferred a  complaint.  If  the  secretary  is  bound  to  ask  the  consent  of  a 
foreman  or  overlooker  before  he  enters  a  department,  and  if  that  con- 
sent may  be  refused,  the  work  Avhich  the  secretary  can  do  in  investigat- 
ing and  removing  grievances  is  liable  to  be  hindered.  If.  on  the  other 
hand,  he  can  enter  any  department  (without  any  formality,  or  on 
simple  notification  of  his  wish)  and  engage  in  discussion  with  a  work- 
man, the  work  of  the  department  may  be  held  to  be  likely  to  suffer. 
From  the  experience  of  several  works,  however,  it  would  appear  that 
this  freedom  of  movement  is  found  to  be  an  essential  condition  of  the 
success  of  a  committee.  The  extent  of  freedom  necessary,  and  the 
members  of  the  committee  to  whom  it  should  be  allowed,  will  vary  with 
the  size  and  the  other  circumstances  of  a  works. 

The  other  matter  which  arises  in  connection  with  the  position  of 
the  secretary  is  concerned  with  his  remuneration.  His  secretarial 
duties  may  interfere  with  his  own  work.  He  is  bound  to  lose  time, 
and,  consequently,  unless  some  arrangement  is  made  to  indemnify  him, 
he  is  bound  to  lose  wages.  In  one  case,  in  which,  it  is  true,  the  work 
is  specially  complicated  and  onerous,  the  amount  of  time  spent  on  secre- 
tarial work  is  said  to  amount  to  a  total  of  30  hours  in  the  week ;  in 
another  case  the  loss  of  wages  involved  has,  over  a  period  of  several 
weeks,  amounted  to  i2  a  week.  In  one  large  works,  where  the  com- 
mittee is  engaged  to  a  great  extent  with  questions  arising  from 
charitable  work,  the  secretary  now  gives  his  whole  time  to  the  duties  of 
his  position,  and  is  paid  by  the  firm.  In  some  cases  it  would  appear 
that  the  secretary  is  paid  ordinary  time-wages  for  the  time  he  spends 
on  secretarial  business  in  working  hours ;  in  other  cases,  where  the 
work  is  premium  bonus  or  piece-work,  he  may  receive  the  average 
earnings,  or,  again,  his  companions  may  keep  his  machine  running  in 
his  absence.  It  seems,  however,  that  some  arrangement  is  necessarv 
to  meet  what  is  often  a  real  difficulty.  It  may  be  argued  that  the 
management  should  pay  the  secretary*  the  full  wages  which  he  would 

*In  certain   cases   the   secretary's    (or   chief   shop   steward's)    guarantee   of 
average  earnings  appears   to   depend  upon  the  will   of   a   foreman   or  ratefixer. 

24 


otherwise  have  made,  since  the  work  he  does  conduces  to  the  better 
running  of  the  estabhshnient.  On  the  other  hand,  the  men  might 
object  to  such  a  course,  on  the  ground  that  it  tended  to  make  the  secre- 
tary more  dependent  on  the  management  and  less  of  a  fellow-workman. 
Another  method,  which  is  employed  in  some  cases,  is  that  the  secretary 
should  be  reimbursed  for  lost  time  by  the  workmen.  In  certain  cases 
it  may  be  noted  that  weekly  contributions  are  paid  by  the  workpeople 
to  meet  the  expenses  of  meetings,  etc. 

Another  question,  which  is  somewhat  analogous,  concerns  the  time 
of  the  meetings  of  the  Works  Committee.  Under  one  plan  the  meet- 
ings may  be  held  in  the  employer's  time,  and  the  members  may  be  paid 
full  rates  during  the  time  they  spend  in  attendance.  This  is  a  plan 
which  is  often  adopted  when  there  are  regular  meetings  with  the  man- 
agement. Many  committees  which  have  no  regular  meetings  with  the 
management  meet  after  working  hours.  Another  plan,  which  has  been 
suggested,  is  that  the  meetings  should  'be  held  partly  in  the  employer's 
time  (the  members  being  paid  full  rates  during  that  time)  and  partly  in 
the  time  of  the  men.  or,  in  other  words,  after  working  hours.  This 
may  present  some  difficulties,  as  some  of  the  members  may  find  it  incon- 
venient to  stay  after  working  hours.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  argued 
that  this  course  best  corresponds  to  the  logic  of  the  situation;  manage- 
ment and  men  both  gain  from  the  work  of  a  committee,  and  it  seems 
logical  that  either  side  should  surrender  a  part  of  its  time.  The  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  depends  to  some  extent  on  the  length  of  the  work- 
ing day.  Members  of  committees  have  complained  that  to  meet  at 
8  or  8.30  p.m.,  after  3  hours  of  overtime,  was  "a  bit  hard."  Under  nor- 
mal hours  the  attitude  would  have  been  different. 

In  the  matter  of  procedure  in  the  stricter  sense  of  the  term  there 
is  at  present  a  good  deal  of  variety.  Generally  the  procedure  is  some- 
what informal,  and  this,  in  the  earlier  stages  of  a  Works  Committee,  is 
perhaps  to  the  good.  The  normal  procedure,  so  far  as  one  can  speak 
of  a  normal  procedure,  is  somewhat  as  follows : — 

(1)  A  workman  who  has  a  grievance  will  report  it,  directly 
or  through  the  committeeman  in  his  department,  to  the  secretary. 
Lesser  grievances,  which  do  not  affect  a  number  of  men  or  raise 
a  general  question,  may  be  settled  at  once  by  the  secretary  with 
the  foreman  or  departmental  manager  concerned. 

(2)  Grievances  which  are  not  thus  settled  are  taken  up  by 
the  committee,  and  brought  by  the  committee  before  the 
management. 


Thus  in  one  large  establishment,  where  the  premium  bonus  system  is  in  operation, 
a  chief  shop  steward  is  paid  his  time  for  periods  during  which  he  is  engaged 
on  negotiations  with  the  management ;  it  is  usual,  however,  for  the  ratefixer 
to  see  that  sufficient  "extras"  are  added  to  the  man's  bonus  earnings  to  neutralise 
the  difference  between  the  time  wages  and  what  might  have  been  earned  on 
bonus  for  the  periods  in  question.  This  more  or  less  casual  arrangement  does 
not  appear  to  be  a  very  satisfactory  solution  of  the  difficulty. 

25 


(3)  If  grievances  or  disputes  are  not  settled  with  the  manage- 
ment, they  are  carried  to  the  branch  or  the  district  organisation  of 
the  Trade  Union  or  Trade  Unions  concerned,  and  they  go  hence- 
forth along  the  ordinary  channels  of  Trade  Union  organisation. 
The  effect  of  this  procedure  can  best  be  seen  by  comparing  it  with 
the  procedure  which  is  followed  in  the  absence  of  a  Works  Committee 
or  of  recognised  shop  stewards  for  the  separate  trades.  Where  there 
is  no  Works  Committee,  the  individual  workmen,  or  a  delegation  of 
workmen,  will  bring  their  case  to  the  management,  if  they  can  get 
admission;  and  failing  any  agreement,  the  matter  will  go  straight  to 
the  Trade  Union.  Where  there  is  a  Works  Committee  the  difference 
is  this :  first  that  there  is  a  certainty  of  admission  to  the  management ; 
secondly,  that  instead  of  the  onus  of  stating  their  case  being  thrown  on 
the  individuals  concerned,  there  is  a  regular  machinery  (the  officers 
and  the  committee)  to  sift  the  case  and  to  state  it  formally;  thirdly, 
that,  instead  of  the  action  taken  being  individual  or  sectional,  it  is  the 
general  action  of  a  body  representative  of  all  the  works ;  and,  finally, 
that  there  are  two  chances  of  a  settlement  being  attained  in  the  works 
(first  between  the  secretary  and  the  foreman  or  departmental  man- 
ager, and,  failing^  that,  between  the  committee  and  the  management) 
before  the  question  goes  outside  for  settlement.  The  main  difference 
between  this  procedure  and  that  adopted  when  trade  shop  stewards  are 
recognised  is  much  less,  and  only  arises  on  the  third  of  the  points  just 
mentioned.  This  difference,  however,  is  important,  because  it  involves 
the  problem  of  the  delimitation  of  a  Works  Committee's  functions.  It 
may  also  be  noted  that,  in  certain  cases  at  least,  the  machinery  of  the 
Works  Committee  is  1)rought  into  operation  not  as  a  preliminary  to  the 
question  going  before  a  Trade  Union  branch,  but  in  support  of  a 
decision  previously  come  to  by  a  branch.  This  is  so  in  certain  iron  and 
steel  works.  The  difference,  it  may  be  said,  is  more  apparent  than  real, 
because  m-any  of  the  branches  (and  these  the  strongest  in  numbers)  are 
in  such  cases  works  branches — that  is  to  say,  the  membership  of  the 
branch  is  confined  to  men  employed  in  the  works.  On  the  other  hand, 
certain  branches  extend  their  membership  beyond  the  works ;  and,  in 
so  far  as  the  Works  Committee  takes  up  a  case  already  entertained  by 
such  a  branch  as  union  business,  there  is  another  form  of  procedure. 
This  procedure  appears  to  have  been  adopted  in  certain  cases  with  the 
acquiescence  of  the  Trade  Union  branch  concerned.  It  seems  impor- 
tant that  the  place  of  the  Works  Committee  in  relation  to  trade  ques- 
tions should  be  properly  defined;  otherwise  there  may  be  dangers  of 
overlapping  and  confusion  through  (a)  the  diversion  of  a  purely  trade 
question  to  the  Works  Committee,  when  it  ought  to  go  through  the 
ordinary  Trade  Union  channels,  or  (b)  the  use  by  a  Trade  Union 
branch  of  the  Works  Committee  in  support  of  a  case  which  it  should 
properly  call  upon  the  officials  of  its  Union  to  handle. 

26 


Three  other  matters  of  procedure  call  for  notice.  One  of  these 
is  the  use  of  what  may  be  called  "the  referendum."  A  Works  Com- 
mittee, when  its  members  feel  that  a  matter  is  imi)ortant,  and  that  it  is 
necessary  that  they  should  ascertain  and  carry  with  them  the  opinion 
of  the  workers  either  in  a  department  or  in  all  the  works,  may  sum- 
mon a  general  meeting  and  bring  the  matter  forward  for  discussion  in 
that  meeting.  There  may  be  no  rules  to  decide  when  this  should  be 
done,  and  it  may  be  done  at  different  stages,  either  before  a  matter  has 
been  discussed  with  the  management  or  subsequently  to  such  discus- 
sion ;  but  the  possibility  of  such  a  general  meeting  enables  the  commit- 
tee to  make  sure  that  its  policy  will  be  adopted  by  the  workmen  con- 
cerned, and  it  puts  it  in  a  position  to  assure  the  management  that  a 
policy  thus  confirmed  can  really  be  carried  into  effect.  In  certain 
industries  the  regular  shop  meeting  is  a  feature  of  shop  organisation. 
This  is  so,  for  example,  in  furnishing  and  in  the  woodworking  side  of 
the  aircraft  industry  in  London.  The  shop  meeting  is  really  a  factory 
meeting,  and  is  held  once  a  month. 

Another  matter  of  procedure  is  one  which  touches  the  manage- 
ment and  directors  of  a  firm.  It  is  important  that  the  representatives 
of  the  firm,  who  meet  the  committee,  or  (if  it  is  a  joint  body)  sit  on 
the  committee,  should  belong  to  the  highest  rank,  and  should  include 
the  general  works  manager  (or,  if  there  is  one,  the  labour  superin- 
tendent)* and  one  or  more  of  the  directors.  A  great  part  of  the  value 
of  the  Works  Committee,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  men,  is  that  it 
brings  them  into  contact,  and  gives  them  an  opportunity  of  discussion, 
with  the  authorities  with  whom,  in  its  absence,  they  seldom  get  into 
close  touch,  and  then  only  on  points  of  difference.  Nor  is  it  only  the 
workmen  who  stand  to  gain  if  the  highest  rank  of  management  is  repre- 
sented. Members  of  the  firm  who  are  primarily  occupied  with  finance 
or  technique  will  be  brought  into  contact  with  those  questions  of  labour 
which  are  the  fundamental  problems  of  industry,  and  in  discussing 
these  questions  with  the  representatives  of  the  workmen  they  are  likely 
to  gain  a  deeper  insight  into  the  best  methods  of  conducting  the 
industry. 

Lastly,  there  are  questions  connected  with  the  keeping  of  minutes, 
the  drawing  up  of  agenda,  the  presentation  of  complaints,  and  the  like. 
Where  regular  joint  meetings  are  held  it  is  common  for  a  complete 
record  of  each  meeting  to  be  made  in  shorthand  by  a  member  of  the 
staff  and  for  the  workpeople's  secretary  to  make  notes  of  the  proceed- 
ings; minutes  based  on  the  complete  record  may  be  circulated  among 
the  members  of  the  committee  after  the  meeting.  Even  where  the  com- 
mittee of  workpeople  as  a  whole  does  not  meet  the  management,  it  may 

*  A  particularly  interesting  development  during  the  war  has  been  the 
appointment  to  the  management  staffs  of  several  establishments  of  persons 
whose  chief  function  is  to  deal  with  labour  questions.  The  success  of  a  Works 
Committee  may  to  a  considerable  extent  depend  upon  the  status  and  qualifications 
of  such  an  official. 

27 


supply  the  latter  with  copies  of  the  minutes  which  concern  the  manage- 
ment. It  is  common  for  the  management  to  supply  typing  facilities  for 
the  duplication  of  minutes  and  of  agenda.  In  some  works  complaints 
made  to  the  committee  must  be  in  writing.  This  rule  has  sometimes 
been  introduced  in  order  to  check  the  making  of  frivolous  complaints 
or  inaccurate  statements;  it  may  be  compared  with  a  method  of  the 
"chapel,"  where  a  member  may  call  a  special  meeting  by  placing  a 
shilling  (or  other  sum)  "on  the  stone''  on  pain  of  forfeiting  his  shilling 
if  the  chapel  decides  that  his  complaint  is  groundless. 

v.— FUKXTIONS. 

Since  \\'orks  Committees  are  of  different  types,  it  is  obvious  that 
their  functions  vary  considerably.  In  the  tirst  place  there  is  the  dis- 
tinction already  mentioned  under  the  head  of  nomenclature.  A  Wel- 
fare Committee  is  concerned  with  all  questions  that  affect  the  comfort 
and  physical  well  being  of  the  workman  while  he  is  engaged  on  his 
occupation ;  an  Industrial  Committee  is  concerned  with  industrial  con- 
ditions in  general.  Often  a  Works  Committee  wnll  undertake  both 
sets  of  functions,  but  some  committees  may  be  confined,  primarily  at 
any  rate,  to  the  working  of  a  system  of  bonus  on  output  or  premium 
bonus  or  piece-rates ;  others  may  be  confined  to  questions  of  dilution  ; 
others  may  have  a  general  and  undefined  scope  which  depends  on  an 
unwritten  understanding  between  management  and  men. 

There  are  several  questions  of  a  general  character  which  deserve 
some  attention,  before  we  turn  to  the  detailed  functions  actually  dis- 
charged by  various  Works  Committees.  Are  these  functions  always 
consultative,  or  are  they  sometimes  executive?  This  raises  another 
question — is  it  possible,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  to  speak  of  a 
Joint  Works  Committee?  What,  again,  are  the  functions  of  the  man- 
agement, and  how  far  may  a  Works  Committee  trench  on  these 
functions?  Finally,  what  is  meant  by  "recognition."  and  what  is  the 
effect  of  recognition  on  the  functions  and  powers  of  a  Works 
Committee  ? 

As  far  as  the  first  question  is  concerned,  it  would  appear  that  the 
functions  of  a  Works  Committee  are  practically  always  consultative. 
Usually  a  Works  Committee  can  bring  matters  before  the  manage- 
ment and  discuss  them  with  the  management ;  it  can  press  its  views 
about  these  matters  on  the  management ;  in  the  last  resort,  it  can  induce 
the  Trade  Union  organisation  to  call  a  strike.  But  the  Works  Commit- 
tee cannot  usually,  as  such,  carry  its  views  into  action,  or  ensure  that 
they  shall  be  carried  into  action,  by  any  direct  machinery.  The  man- 
agement has  the  executive  power,  and  unless  the  management  is 
impressed  by  the  representations  of  the  members  of  the  committee,  or 
by  the  sanction  which  lies  behind  them,  those  representations  will  not 

28 


lead  to  executive  action.*  This  would  appear  to  he  usual  even  where 
the  Works  Committee  is  a  Joint  Committee.  There  are,  indeed,  certain 
cases  in  which  the  decision  of  a  majority  of  the  members  of  such  a 
Joint  Committee  is  carried  into  effect.  This  is  so  in  the  Pit-head  and 
certain  other  committeesf  which  have  the  power  to  tine  bad  timekeep- 
ers ;  and  in  certain  engineering  establishments  the  question  of  prose- 
cuting bad  timekeepers  before  the  Munitions  Tribunal  is  decided  bv 
Joint  Works  Committees.  But,  so  far  as  can  be  discovered,  the  gen- 
eral custom  is  to  the  contrary.  Unanimity  must  be  attained;  the  man- 
agement must  be  convinced,  and  both  sides  must  freelv  agree  together, 
before  executive  action  is  taken.  The  operation  of  a  Joint  Committee 
is  really  in  the  nature  of  consultation  between  two  parties — consultation 
which,  if  it  results  in  unanimity,  results  in  action,  but  not  otherwise. 
It  would  be  a  mistake  to  think  in  terms  of  voting,  or  to  think  that  even 
if  there  is  voting,  its  result  is  a  formal  decision  by  a  majority  vote. 
What  happens  is  rather  discussion  by  which  misunderstanding  is  often 
removed,  and  upon  which,  if  unanimity  is  attained  between  the  two 
sides,  action  will  ensue.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  generally  we  can- 
not speak  of  Joint  Committees,  if  by  Joint  Committees  we  understand 
joint  executive  councils  acting  by  the  vote  of  the  majority.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  are  Joint  Committees,  if  l)y  Joint  Committees  we 
understand  deliberative  meetings  of  both  sides,  always  attended  by 
l)oth  sides,  though  often  accompanied  by  separate  meetings  of  the  two 
sides.:}: 

*  In  one  establishment,  however,  decisions  upon  disciplinary  and  time- 
keeping cases  made  by  a  committee  wholly  composed  of  workpeople  are  accepted 
l)y  the  firm.  See  reference  to  Works  Tribunal  on  p.  32.  In  some  cases  such 
functions  as  the  day  to  day  administration  of  a  messroom  are  discharged  by 
committees  wholly  composed  of  workpeople.  Even  in  such  cases,  however, 
an  important  decision — for  example,  one  involving  capital  expenditure — would 
usually  have  to  meet  with  the  approval  of  the  management  before  it  could  be 
put  into  force. 

t  See  Appendix  IV,  pp.  114-119. 

X  The  division  between  executive  and  advisory  powers  in  a  scheme  now 
under  consideration  for  an  engineering  works  may  be  noted.  It  is  proposed 
that  the  former  should  include  (1)  those  powers  conferred  by  the  Trade  Unions 
and  in  accordance  with  the  constitution  or  resolutions  of  the  local  Allied 
Engineering  Trades  and  (2)  those  conferred  by  the  firm.  The  suggested  first 
list  of  executive  powers  contains  the  following: — determination  of  hours  of 
work  (with  minimum  of  50  per  week);  messroom;  heating,  lighting,  sanitary 
matters,  &c. ;  ambulance ;  collections,  supervision  of  notice  boards,  entertain- 
ments, &c. ;  proprosed  technical  lending  library  and  works  magazine ;  and 
organisation  of  the  Sports  Association.  The  advisory  functions  include  the 
regulation  of  piecework;  the  engagement,  discharge,  dilution  and  transfer  of 
labour  (excluding  disciplinary  discharges)  ;  training  and  education  of  apprentices  ; 
suggestion  of  improvements  in  methods;  timekeeping,  &c.  It  is  proposed  that 
seven  sub-committees  be  formed,  each  sub-committee  to  deal  with  one  or  more 
of  the  above-mentioned  functions,  e.g.,  a  sub-committee  for  hours  of  work, 
engagements  and  discharges,  and  timekeeping;  a  sub-committee  for  messroom; 
and  a  sub-committee,  advisory  and  ncgotiatory,  for  piecework.  There  is  this 
reservation  in  regard  to  executive  functions  that  if  capital  expenditure  is 
involved  authority  should  be  obtained  from  the  firm  before  such  expenditure 
is  incurred. 

29 


A  question  of  importance,  when  we  are  considering  the  functions 
of  a  Works  Committee,  is  the  definition  of  the  term  "management." 
It  may  be  urged,  on  the  one  side,  that  the  functions  of  a  \\"orks  Com- 
mitee  should  not  be  such  as  to  interfere  with  management ;  it  may  be 
urged,  on  the  other,  that  if  a  Works  Committee  is  to  be  debarred  from 
questions  of  management  it  loses  reality  and  becomes  a  mere  form. 
Much,  therefore,  depends  on  the  sense  in  which  the  term  management 
is  used.  Is  the  work  of  the  foremen  part  of  management?  Or  does 
the  word  denote  the  higher  organisation  of  industry?  It  would  appear 
that  a  Works  Committee,  if  it  is  to  be  of  any  value  in  ventilating  and 
removing  grievances,  must  be  in  a  position  to  ventilate  grievances 
arising  from  the  conduct  of  foremen  or  overlookers.  Such  grievances 
touch  the  worker  most  closely  in  his  daily  work,  and  if  they  cannot  be 
discussed  the  committee  loses  a  sphere  of  action  in  which  it  might  be 
of  the  greatest  service.  It  is  true  that  if  a  committee  has  the  right  of 
criticising  the  action  of  foremen,  difficulties  may  arise.  Foremen  may 
feel  that  their  authority  is  undermined;  they  may  feel  that  they  are 
being  made  responsible  not  only,  as  heretofore,  to  the  management  (a 
responsibility  they  know  and  understand),  but  also  to  the  committee; 
they  may  feel  that,  with  a  dual  responsibility,  their  position  becomes 
exceedingly  difficult.  These  are  real  problems.  In  many  instances, 
however,  they  seem  to  have  been  surmounted;  and  if  they  prove  seri- 
ous, they  may  perhaps  be  met,  to  some  extent,  if  the  general  manager 
arranges  to  meet  the  foremen  in  advance,  and  to  discuss  with 
them  criticisms  and  grievances  which  have  come  from  the  Works 
Committee.* 

The  last  of  the  general  questions  raised  by  a  consideration  of  the 
functions  and  position  of  a  Works  Committee  is  that  of  "recognition." 
This,  again,  is  a  term  which  seems  to  be  understood  in  different  senses, 
and  which  it  is  difficult  to  define.  A  committee  may  be  held,  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  management,  not  to  be  recognised,  even  when  the 
management  is  in  constant  touch  with  its  secretary,  and  even  when  it 
consents  to  meet  those  members  of  the  committee  who  represent  a 
department  which  has  a  grievance.  Here  the  point  would  appear  to 
be  that  the  management  does  not,  as  such,  formally  meet  the  whole 
committee.  In  another  case  a  system  almost  exactly  parallel — a  system 
under  which  the  management  interviews  four  of  five  members  of  the 
committee — is  described  as  one  of  "recognition."  The  term  "recogni- 
tion" thus  appears  to  have  no  fixed  meaning;  and  it  may  be  concluded 
that  what  matters  is  the  fact  of  consultation  between  a  committee  and 
the  management  rather  than  any  formal  pronouncement  about  the  fact. 


*  In  some  establishments  there  are  Management  Committees,  and  in  others 
regular  conferences  between  directors,  managers  and  foremen  are  held.  The 
question  of  rneetings  of  the  Management  and  Works  Committees  together  is 
under  discussion  in  one  or  two  firms.  The  relation  of  Works  Committees  to 
problems  of  management  is  discussed  further  on  pp.  Z2)  ct  scq. 

30 


In  the  preceding  paragraphs  the  functions  of  a  Works  Committee 
have  been  discussed  with  reference  to  the  management.  It  is  obvious 
that  they  must  also  be  discussed  with  reference  to  Trade  Union  organ- 
ization. A  A\^orks  Committee  must  stand  in  some  sort  of  relation  to 
the  district  committees  of  the  Unions  to  which  the  workmen  in  the 
works  belong,  and  some  demarcation  of  functions,  whether  explicit  or 
implicit,  has  to  be  made.  The  relations  vary,  and  the  demarcation  is 
not  always  easy  to  make.  Generally  the  division  is  said  to  be  that  ques- 
tions of  general  application — district  rates  of  wages,  hours  of  work,  and 
other  district  or  national  conditions  of  work — are  regarded  by  Works 
Committees  as  outside  their  sphere,  and  such  questions  are  left  to  be 
settled  by  the  employers  or  associations  of  employers  with  the  Trade 
Unions.*  On  the  other  hand,  questions  of  a  particular  application 
relating  to  a  works' — for  example,  a  piece-rate  for  a  particular  job  for 
which  it  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any  general  piece-rate  for  the  dis- 
trict— are  regarded  as  belonging  to  the  functions  of  a  Works  Commit- 
tee. Such  a  committee  may  thus  deal  (1)  with  the  particular  applica- 
tion in  the  works  of  a  principle  general  to  the  district,  and  (2)  with 
questions  which  are  entirely  peculiar  to  the  works.  But  the  general 
problem  of  the  relations  of  Works  Committees  and  Trade  Union 
organisation  is  one  that  demands  separate  treatment,  and  it  will  accord- 
ingly be  treated  in  a  subsequent  section. 

The  powers  of  the  management  and  the  powers  of  the  local  Trade 
Union  organisation  may  be  said  to  constitute  two  points  more  or  less 
fixed,  and  the  powers  of  a  Works  Committee  are  naturally  determined 
with  reference  to  these  two  points  in  ways  that  \ary  according  as  those 
points  vary.  Turning  to  the  Works  Committee  in  itself,  we  may  dis- 
tinguish two  main  types  of  function.  In  the  first  type  a  committee  is 
primarily  concerned  with  some  one  particular  thing — a  scheme  of 
dilution,  a  system  of  bonus,  or  a  method  of  profit-sharing.  This  does 
not  prevent  such  a  committee  from  dealing  incidentally  with  other 
things.  On  the  contrary,  a  committee  on  dilution  will  be  led  to  discuss 
the  wages  of  dilutees  and  other  questions ;  a  committee  on  a  bonus 
system  will  be  led  to  deal  with  time-keeping  and  other  matters  which 
alTect  the  bonus.  A  committee,  therefore,  which  is  primarily  and 
formally  concerned  with  a  particular  thing  may  actually  be  something 
of  the  nature  of  a  general  Works  Committee.  When  once  an  organisa- 
tion is  created,  if  only  for  a  single  activity,  it  will  naturally  become  a 
centre  for  other  activities ;  the  management,  finding  a  representative 
organisation  which  it  can  consult,  may  consult  it  on  broader  issues ; 
and  vice  versa  the  representative  organisation,  meeting  the  management 
to  discuss  one  issue,  may  readily  tend  to  bring  forward  other  issues. 
The  tendency  for  this  to  come  about  is  greater  if  the  committee  is  one 

*  This  does  not  mean  that  the  Works  Committee  may  not  consider  an 
alleged  infringement  of  such  conditions.  This,  as  we  saw  previously,  is  one 
of  the  usual  duties  of  shop  stewards. 

31 


of  shop  stewards  who  are  charged  by  their  Unions  with  a  general 
supervision  of  conditions. 

In  the  second  type  a  committee  is  from  the  first  general  in  its 
range,  and  is  formed  to  deal  with  the  general  industrial  conditions  of  a 
works.  One  such  committee  has  for  its  province  (1)  to  enquire  into 
grievances  reported  by  w^orkmen ;  (2)  to  bring  before  and  discuss  with 
the  management  grievances  that  it  considers  genuine;  (3)  to  consider 
complaints  about  wages  and  piece-rates  which  concern  individuals ;  (4) 
to  consider  questions  relating  to  the  health  and  safety  of  the  workmen ; 
(5)  to  consult  with  the  management  on  the  interpretation  of  awards, 
orders  and  circulars;  and  (6)  to  consider  generally  the  conditions  of 
work  in  the  establishment.  This  may  be  considered  to  be  fairly  typical. 
Another  committee,  primarily  concerned  wath  piece-rates,  has  also  dealt 
with  questions  of  ventilation  and  sanitation,  complaints  about  the 
decisions  of  foremen,  arrangement  of  shifts  and  of  hours  of  admission 
to  the  works,  the  allocation  of  piece-work  and  time-work,  and  the  inter- 
pretation of  official  orders  and  circulars.  Other  matters  handled  by 
Works  Committees  include  works  discipline,  especially  timekeeping, 
methods  of  paying  wages,  hours  of  overtime,  and  the  like.  The  ques- 
tionnaire which  is  printed  in  the  first  Appendix  contains  a  list  of  pos- 
sible functions ;  and  it  may  be  said  at  once  that  different  Works  Com- 
mittees exemplify  all  these  functions  and  that  some  exercise  functions 
which  are  not  included  in  the  list. 

Instances  may  be  cited  of  committees  which  are  tending  to  exer- 
cise, or  actually  exercise,  peculiar  and  interesting  functions.  In  sev- 
eral cases  Works  Committees  have  made  suggestions  for  economies  in 
the  running  of  machinery,  and  it  is  agreed  on  both  sides  that  the  com- 
mittees have  brought  to  light  weak  spots  in  organisation.*  A  striking 
feature  is  the  keenness  of  certain  committees,  or  of  the  more  active 
members  of  these  committees,  to  discuss  the  after-war  situation,  and 
this  in  relation  not  only  to  working  conditions,  but  also  to  such  prob- 
lems as  the  proper  employment  of  plant.  Another  case  is  equally  inter- 
esting. This  is  the  case  of  a  works  in  which  a  Works  Tribunal  has 
been  instituted  in  lieu  of  the  Local  Munitions  Tribunal.  The  men  elect 
a  jury  of  twelve  and  a  chairman;  and  this  tribunal  has  been  successful 
in  bringing  about  a  great  improvement  in  discipline  and  time-keeping. f 

*  The  same  is  said  of  Pit-head  Committees — a  form  of  colliery  committee 
to  ensure  increased  out-put — as  may  be  seen  from  the  report  on  these  committees 
in  Appendix  II,  p.  1Q7. 

t  This  is  a  very  interesting  matter,  especially  in  view  of  the  argument  in  the 
report  of  the  N.  W.  Commission  on  Industrial  Unrest,  that  joint  committees 
of  employers  and  employed  would  administer  "industrial  law"  better  than  legal 
tribunals.  The  existence  of  a  number  of  Joint  Committees  which  exercise  such 
functions  has  been  mentioned  (see  p.  29).  The  particular  interest  of  the  above 
mentioned  Works'  Tribunal  is  that  it  is  not  a  Joint  Committee  but  is  wholly 
composed  of  workpeople.  The  firm  has  no  status  in  the  court,  merely  appearing 
by  its  representative  as  it  would  in  the  Local  Munitions  Tribunal.  Procedure 
is  quite  formal,  and  the  firm's  representative  is  expected  to  address  the  chairman 
as  "Sir." 

32 


An  incident  in  this  works,  though  it  does  not  bear  directly  on  the 
matter  of  Works  Committees,  is  indirectly  of  value  as  showing  that 
consultation  with  the  workmen  may  be  of  great  service  to  the  manage- 
ment. A  question  arose  of  the  introduction  of  dilution  into  the  works, 
and  the  men  in  the  pattern-making  shops  objected  to  its  introduction. 
They  were  interviewed  by  the  managing  director,  who  asked  what 
alternative  suggestion  they  could  make  for  increasing  output.  They 
answered  that  they  believed  they  could  easily  increase  their  output  if 
they  had  additional  equipment.  A  tool  catalogue  was  put  before  them  : 
they  suggested  the  purchase  of  a  number  of  tools  costing  in  all  nearly 
i2,000.  The  tools  were  bought,  and  the  output  was  increased  by  50 
per  cent,  without  dilution. 

The  range  of  functions  which  a  Works  Committee  can  efficiently 
undertake  is  necessarily  indefinite,  and  a  subject  of  contention  not  only 
between  employers  and  workpeople,  but  also  between  dififerent  groups 
both  of  employers  and  of  workpeople.  Some  of  the  questions  on  which 
there  is  considerable  difference  of  opinion  may  be  noted ;  they  include 
questions  affecting  promotion,  dismissal,  the  suggestion  of  improved 
processes,  lectures  and  education  in  trade  technique,  and  works 
discipline. 

The  question  of  alleged  wrongful  dismissal  is  already  handled  by 
the  Trade  Unions,  and  there  is  a  considerable  body  of  opinion  among 
both  workpeople  and  the  employers  that,  at  least  in  the  first  instance, 
it  is  a  suitable  function  for  a  Works  Committee.  Dismissal  for  such  a 
reason  as  alleged  disobedience,  it  is  argued,  may  be  only  a  cloak  for 
victimisation ;  reasons  may  be  invented  by  a  foreman  in  order  to  get  rid 
of  particular  men.  The  claim  is  made  that  the  other  workpeople  are 
likely  to  understand  the  psychological  influences  underlying  such  action, 
and  that  no  such  dismissal  should  be  made  until  the  circumstances  have 
been  discussed  with  the  Works  Committee.  The  situation  in  which 
slackness  of  work  compels  a  considerable  reduction  in  the  number  of 
employees  is  more  complicated ;  on  the  one  hand,  workpeople  complain 
that  the  opportunity  is  used  by  certain  employers  to  get  rid  not  only  of 
the  less  efficient  employees,  but  also  of  those  who  have  shown  them- 
selves active  in  support  of  their  fellows — that  is,  to  cover  up  victimisa- 
tion ;  on  the  other  hand,  employers  complain  that  workpeople  are  exclu- 
sively biased  in  favour  of  the  claims  of  seniority,  and  make  little,  if 
any,  allowance  for  differences  in  efficiency.  There  would  appear  to  be 
some  truth  in  both  contentions.  A  frank  discussion  would  probably 
tend  to  remove  the  causes  of  the  workpeople's  complaints,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  to  produce  a  balance  between  the  claims  of  seniority  and  of 
efficiency  satisfactory  to  both  employers  and  employees.  What  is  per- 
haps even  more  important  is  a  further  argument ;  such  frank  discussion 
would  lead  to  plans  for  the  alleviation  in  the  particular  works  of  the 
effects  of  a  general  slackness.  It  is  not  contended  that  any  general 
remedy    for  unemployment  can   be   found  on  these  lines :  all   that   is 

33 


suggested  is  that  local  and  individual  effort  may  help  to  solve  the 
problem.  Dismissals  due  to  the  introduction  of  new  machinery  or  new 
methods  are  perhaps  of  a  kind  with  which  a  Works  Committee  might 
properly  deal.  Workpeople  are  ready  to  acknowledge  the  benefits  due  to 
improvements  and  yet  naturally  resent  such  improvements  where  they 
involve  the  destruction  of  their  craft  or  sudden  loss  of  employment.  It 
may  be  suggested  that  what  individual  employers  have  done  in  the 
past — namely,  to  make  arrangements  by  which  the  dislocation  of  liveli- 
hood is  reduced — can  be  carried  out  more  generally ;  and  that  in  indi- 
vidual establishments  adjustments  for  such  a  purpose  are  a  suitable 
subject  for  discussion  by  a  Works  Committee.  It  is.  of  course,  a  sub- 
ject of  vital  importance  to  the  Trade  Unions;  it  is  indeed  an  aspect  of 
the  process  of  dilution  as  seen  at  work  in  the  normal  industrial  condi- 
tions of  peace  time.  Though  the  Trade  Unions  could  not  be  expected 
to  hand  the  matter  over  to  a  Works  Committee,  there  appears  to  be 
room  for  the  latter  to  deal  with  the  question  within  certain  limits. 

The  appointment  of  foremen  is  a  question  on  which  there  may  be 
said  to  be  three  groups  of  opinions.  Many  employers  hold  that  it  is 
purely  a  management  question.  The  opposite  extreme  to  this  is  the 
claim  made  by  a  considerable  section  of  Trade  Unionists  that  the  work- 
men should  choose  their  own  foremen.  A  position  intermediate  to 
these  two  extremes  is  taken  up  by  a  certain  number  of  employers  and 
by  a  section  of  workpeople;  the  appointment  (they  feel)  should  be 
made  by  the  management,  but  it  should  be  submitted  to  the  Works 
Committee  before  it  becomes  effective.  Even  this  intermediate  posi- 
tion, however,  is  not  really  a  common  position ;  there  are  differences  of 
opinion  as  to  the  conditions  under  which  the  appointment  should  come 
before  the  \\'orks  Committee — that  is  to  say,  whether  or  no  the  Works 
Committee  should  have  power  to  veto  the  appointment.  Those 
employers  who  are  prepared  to  submit  such  appointments  to  a  Works 
Committee  are  for  the  most  part  of  the  opinion  that  this  should  only 
be  done  in  order  to  explain  the  reasons  for  their  choice.  This,  they 
hold,  will  tend  to  remove  obstacles  which  might  otherwise  be  put  in 
the  way  of  the  appointment.  A  consideral)le  body  of  workpeople,  on 
the  other  hand,  hold  an  intermediate  position  which  comes  nearer  to 
election  of  foremen  by  the  workpeople ;  they  think  that  the  Works 
Committee  should  have  the  right  to  veto  the  choice  made  by  the  man- 
agement. A  few  employers  consider  that  this — or  even  direct  elec- 
tion— may  be  possible  when  a  Works  Committee,  through  the  experi- 
ence gained  in  consultations  about  such  appointments,  has  learned  to 
estimate  all  the  qualities  necessary  in  a  foreman.  It  has  alreadv  been 
mentioned  that  Works  Committees  very  often  discuss  the  conduct  of 
foremen.  The  conclusion  then  reached,  that  such  discussion  was  a 
<lesirable   function   for   a   committee,   would    appear  to   involve   as  a 

34 


i 


corollary  that  of  consultation  abou't  appointments.     This  latter  function 
would  tend  to  remove  the  necessity  for  the  former.* 

Among  the  results  expected  from  the  giving  of  a  larger  measure 
of  responsibility  for  industrial  conditions  to  the  workpeople  is  a  con- 
siderable increase  in  efficiency.  This  is  said  to  be  possible  if  the  abilty 
of  the  workpeople  to  suggest  improved  processes  and  methods  is  prop- 
erly used.  The  experience  of  individual  firms  would  appear  to  confirm 
this  contention.  Many  firms  have  for  years  past  had  awards  schemes 
in  operation,  and  in  certain  cases  these  have  stimulated  important  sug- 
gestions for  improvements.  The  fact  that  the  "suggestion  box"'  is 
often  stated  to  have  proved  a  failure  is  not  necessarily  a  condemnation 
of  the  idea ;  it  may  only  mean  that  the  somewhat  mechanical  and  unin- 
spiring device  is  in  itself  an  inadequate  stimulus.  A  comparison  of  the 
results  secured  in  establishments  more  or  less  similar  (so  far  as  work 
is  concerned)  would  suggest  that  the  success  of  an  awards  scheme 
depends  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  action  of  the  management.  Where 
the  management  gains  the  confidence  of  the  workpeople,  and  has 
devised  methods  of  considering  suggestions  which  appeal  to  the  work- 
people, there  is  a  much  more  powerful  response  than  in  works  where, 
though  there  may  be  a  suggestion  box,  these  conditions  are  absent. 
Many  employers  and  workpeople  agree  that  a  Works  Committee  may 
not  only  produce  the  atmosphere  necessary  to  the  stimulation  of  sug- 
gestions, but  may  also  help  to  arrange  for  the  proper  investigation  of 
proposals  made  by  workpeople.  In  this  connection,  as  in  the  quite  dif- 
ferent field  of  grievances,  it  would  appear  to  be  important  that  sugges- 
tions which  look  to  be  worthless'  should,  nevertheless,  be  considered. 
To  put  the  matter  on  the  lowest  ground,  this  will  probably  pay  in  the 
long  run.  The  fundamental  matter  is  that  everyone  should  be  encour- 
aged to  think  about  the  processes  and  the  organisation  of  the  works. 
It  should  be  noted  that  workpeople  very  commonly  complain  of  the 
staff's  attitude  on  such  matters ;  any  suggestion,  they  say,  is  apt  to  be 
brushed  aside  with  the  remark  that  they  are  not  paid  to  think  but  to 
work.  The  obstruction  in  such  cases  may  be  a  foreman  or  manager, 
and  even  though  the  higher  management  may  be  sympathetic,  it  may 


*  This  question  of  promotion  lias  been  discussed  in  one  aspect  only,  znz., 
in  relation  to  the  appointment  of  foremen.  It  is,  of  course,  much  more  general, 
and  is  in  manv  of  its  aspects  a  matter  of  agreement  between  Employers'  Asso- 
ciations and  Trade  Unions.  Such  agreements  may  regulate  progress  within  a 
trade  or  a  group  of  connected  trades,  and  necessarily  involve,  among  other 
questions,  that  of  standard  rates  of  wages.  The  discussion  of  promotion  in 
this  wider  sense  of  the  term  could  come  within  a  Works  Committee's  functions 
only  where  the  Trade  Unions  make  no  conditions  except  the  payment  of  standard 
rates— and  then  only  within  the  limits  of  this  condition.  The  promotion  to  fore- 
manship  may  be  said  to  be  distinct,  in  that  a  foreman  is  a  member  of  the 
management  staff,  and  directly  concerned  with  such  employer's  interests  as 
the  maintenance  of  discipline.  The  dividing  line,  however,  is  not  well  dehned 
in  certain  cases,  and  the  fact  that  certain  Unions  which  largely  control  promo- 
tions among  the  men  paid  1)y  wages  have  also  organised  the  lower  grades 
of  the  staff,  paid  by  salary  or  standing  wage,  complicates  the  issue.  In  some 
of  these  cases  certain  Unions  claim  the  right  to  intervene. 

35 


never  hear  of  a  suggestion.  His  mates  also  are  sometimes  not  very 
encouraging  to  a  workman  with  ideas.  For  lack,  therefore,  of  encour- 
agement, or  because  of  actual  discouragement,  ideas  of  value  are  held 
back  and  the  capacity  for  ideas  destroyed.  How  best  to  arrange  that 
suggestions  will  be  guaranteed  an  adequate  consideration  is  not  a  direct 
concern  of  this  report,  except  in  so  far  as  a  Works  Committee  may  be 
employed  for  the  purpose.  It  is  doubtful  whether  a  general  Works 
Committee  is  a  suitable  body  with  which  to  discuss  the  value  of  a 
change  in  a  particular  process  or  machine,  and  the  use  of  a  small  sub- 
committee for  this  purpose  may  be  suggested.  The  argument  has  been 
used  that  a  man  will  place  his  ideas  before  two  or  three  responsible 
work-mates  for  their  criticism,  but  not  before  a  big  committee.  If 
the  small  cominittee  thought  the  proposal  sound,  it  would  then  go 
straight  to  the  higher  management.  For  more  general  questions  of 
organisation,  as  distinct  from  questions  of  individual  methods  or 
machines,  the  general  Works  Committee,  or  in  large  works  a  Depart- 
mental Committee,  would  probably  be  a  suitable  body.  Testimony  to 
the  value  of  suggestions  made  by  both  of  these  has  been  received  from 
employers.  A  further  suggestion  with  a  direct  bearing  on  this  sub- 
ject has  been  made ;  that  the  education  which  certain  firms  provide  for 
sections  of  their  stafT,  such  as  foremen  and  underforemen,  might  be 
extended  to  representative  workpeople.  'Jliis  may  take  the  form  of 
educational  lectures,  which  will  widen  the  outlook  of  the  specialised 
worker  by  showing  him  how  his  own  activities  fit  into  those  of  others 
and  into  the  general  plan  of  the  establishment's  activities.* 

The  attitude  to  a  Works  Committee's  assumption  of  responsibility 
for  discipline  varies  very  considerably,  both  among  employers  and 
among  workpeople.  There  is  a  considerable  body  of  experience,  and 
it  would  appear  that,  though  there  are  examples  to  the  contrary,  Works 
Committees  which  undertake  disciplinary  functions  usually  do  so  with 
success.  There  is,  at  the  same  time,  a  very  general  demand  among 
workpeople  that,  if  Joint  Committees  are  to  discuss  the  bad  timekeeping 
and  other  mistakes  of  the  employees,  they  should  have  similar  powers 
of  dealing  with  faults  on  the  side  of  the  management.  In  a  number  of 
establishments  committees  regulate  fines  or  deductions  made  from 
bonus  because  of  lost-time,  negligence,  damage  or  other  cause. f 

A  note  of  caution  may  be  added.  There  is  some  evidence  that  a 
small  minority  of  employers  may  endeavour  to  use  a  Works  Committee 
in  order  more  easily  to  impose  penal  conditions  which  are  objected  to 
by  the  main  body  of  workpeople.  This  is  opposed  to  the  whole  spirit 
which  makes  a  Works  Committee  a  success,  and  is  bound  to  produce 
friction.    A  somewhat  similar  attitude  is  taken  up  by  a  small  minority 

*  Another  interesting  feature  in  this  connection  is  the  development  of  Works 
Magazines. 

t  The  settlement  of  deductions  for  damage,  defect,  &c.,  hv  work  tribunals 
representative  of  employers  and  employed  was  recommended  in  the  Report 
of  the  Truck  Committee,  1908,  p.  37  and  p.  81.     ([Cd.  4442]. 

36 


of  workpeople  who  appear  to  desire  that  no  joint  meetings  should  he 
held  in  an  orderly  or  businesslike  manner. 

It  may  be  added  in  conclusion  of  this  section,  that  the  opinion,  and 
indeed  the  practice,  of  a  number  of  firms  inclines  in  the  direction  of 
ad  hoc  committees.  It  is  held  that  this  enables  the  firm  to  consult  the 
men  who  are  directly  concerned,  and  that  it  has  the  additional  advan- 
tage of  giving  greater  reality  to  the  consultation.  When  consultation 
takes  place  on  an  immediate  and  definite  issue,  it  is  said  to  result  in 
practical  and  useful  discussion ;  and  the  fear  is  expressed  that  consul- 
tation, in  the  absence  of  such  an  issue,  may  only  be  an  empty  form. 
The  inclusion  in  such  committees  of  the  shop  stewards  who  represent 
the  classes  of  men  concerned — as  is  often  the  case — gives  a  direct  con- 
nection with  the  Trade  Union  or  Unions  whose  standards  may  be 
afifected. 

VI.— RELATIONS  WITH  TRADE  UNIONS. 

Something  has  already  been  said  in  the  sections  dealing  with  the 
constitution,  procedure  and  functions  of  W^orks  Committees,  concern- 
ing the  relations  between  such  committees  and  Trade  Union  organisa- 
tion. The  position  is  in  certain  respects  somewhat  paradoxical ;  the 
problem  as  seen  by  most  Trade  Unionists  is  that  of  strengthening  the 
Trade  Union  organisation  in  the  workshop,  but,  on  the  one  hand,  many 
employers  prefer  not  to  deal  with  the  shop  stewards  in  the  works  but 
with  the  outside  Trade  Union  organisation,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
some  elements  in  Trade  Unionism  prefer  that  it  should  stand  outside 
the  workshop  and  handle  questions  in  each  works  from  the  outside, 
while  some  unionist  shop  stewards  consider  that  their  Works  Com- 
mittees should  not  be  subject  to  any  control  of  the  Trade  Unions.  The 
general  question  of  the  relation  and  the  relative  weight  and  power  of 
Works  Committees  and  district  organisations  is  one  which  is  likely  to 
be  settled  gradually  in  experience  and  actual  working.  Here  it  may  be 
convenient  to  draw  attention  to  some  considerations  which  appear  to 
afifect  this  general  question,  particularly  as  seen  in  the  engineering 
industry. 

The  first  consideration  is  that  the  change  in  the  conditions  of  work- 
ing have  made  necessary  the  development  of  new  machinery  for  col- 
lective bargaining.  Since  the  questions  for  which  this  machinery  is 
required  are,  to  a  great  extent,  peculiar  to  individual  establishments, 
the  collective  bargaining,  if  it  is  to  be  done  at  all,  must  be  carried 
through  in  each  establishment.  At  the  same  time,  unless  the  results 
are  to  impair  the  standard  conditions  which  it  is  the  business  of  the 
Unions  to  uphold,  the  work  must  be  entrusted  to  representatives  of  the 
Unions.  Thus  there  has  come  about  a  natural  development  in  the 
functions  of  the  shop  stewards.  Previously  they  had  to  see  that  no 
encroachments  were  made  on  standard  conditions ;  now  they  may  have 

27 


83108 


the  more  positive  duty  of  participating  in  the  settlement  of  piece-work 
prices  in  terms  of  these  standard  conditions.* 

In  regard  to  the  changes  just  mentioned,  and  in  regard  also  to 
dilution,  the  interests  of  the  workpeople  belonging  to  dififerent  skilled 
Unions  are  more  or  less  the  same.  This,  combined  with  the  natural 
community  in  the  works,  probably  accounts  for  the  fact  that  certain 
apparent  difficulties  of  representation  are,  as  a  rule,  easily  overcome. 
The  impossibility  of  so  representing  different  Unions  on  a  Works  Com- 
mittee that  satisfaction  is  secured  to  all  is  alleged  to  be  such  a  difficulty. 
So  far  as  the  skilled  trades  are  concerned — at  least  in  engineering — the 
difficulty  would  not  appear  to  be  serious.  In  many  cases  where  even  a 
small  minority  only  of  the  skilled  Unions  have  direct  representation 
there  would  appear  to  be  no  dissatisfaction. 

As  between  the  members  of  skilled  and  unskilled  Unions  the 
position  is  more  difficult.  There  are  several  cases  of  two  separate 
Committees  of  Shop  Stewards — one  representing  the  skilled  and  the 
other  unskilled  and  semi-skilled  men — in  the  same  works.  In  other 
establishments,  however,  skilled  and  unskilled  men  vote  for  the  same 
committee  and  act  together  as  members.  This  would  appear  to  be  the 
most  desirable  arrangement.  The  case,  however,  in  which  a  minority 
of  unskilled  men  in  each  department  is  represented  on  a  \\'orks  Com- 
mittee by  a  skilled  unionist  is  not  exactly  on  a  par  with  that  in  which 
a  minority  belonging  to  an  unskilled  Union  is  so  represented.  Apart 
from  the  fact  that  unskilled  men  are  more  likely  to  be  distributed 
through  all  the  departments,  so  that  though  in  a  minority  they  form  a 
considerable  proportion  of  the  total  number  of  employees,  there  is  the 
further  consideration  that  the  similarity  of  interest  and  the  community 
of  feeling  are  not  so  pronounced.  In  many  establishments  the  difficultv 
has  apparently  been  surmounted ;  but  in  a  number  of  others  it  is  still 
a  serious  problem.  The  prol)lem  w"Ould  appear  to  be  one  which  cannot 
be  settled  by  the  men  in  each  establishment — though  the}'  may  provide 
valuable  suggestions — and  it  must  probably  be  left  for  the  Trade 
Unions  concerned  to  come  to  some  agreement  on  the  matter.  For  this 
reason  a  certain  number  of  workpeople,  both  skilled  and  unskilled, 
consider  that  in  cases  where  the  difficulty  is  acute  the  policy  of  two 
committees  is  the  best  present  working  arrangeuient.  The  defects  of 
such  a  system  are  perhaps  too  obvious  to  require  particular  mention. 
It  may,  however,  be  noted  that  the  system  obstructs  very  considerablv 
that  joint  consideration  of  common  interests  and  desires,  to  find  expres- 
sion for  which  is  one  of  the  main  purposes  of  a  Works  Committee. 
It  tends  instead  to  concentrate  the  attention  of  each  committee  upon 
points  of  divergence  of  interest. 


*  The  appointment  by  the  men  of  a  separate  rate  hxer,  whose  Inisiness 
it  would  be  to  arrange  piece  prices  with  the  tirm's  rate  tixer,  is  a  suggested 
development  towards  which  a  movement  is  being  made  in  one  or  two  firms.  In 
one  large  establishment,  such  a  duplication  is  suggested  l)y  one  of  the  firm's 
rate  fixers  as  a  very  desirable  arrangement. 

38 


The  coming  together  into  one  committee  of  shop  stewards  respon- 
sible to  different  Trade  Unions  raises  a  number  of  questions.  It  is  true 
that  the  rules  by  which  Unions  define  the  functions  of  their  shop  stew 
ards  are  fairly  uniform,  and  so  long  as  a  Works  Committee  respects 
the  rules  of  the  different  Unions  there  is  little  fear  of  overlapping  or 
confusion  in  functions.  The  general  rule  which  determines  the  func- 
tions of  a  Works  Committee  in  relation  to  Trade  Union  organisation 
has  already  been  mentioned.  As  is  said  in  the  case  of  one  Committee, 
"The  Committee  regard  questions  of  general  application,  relating  to 
rates  of  wages,  hours  of  work  or  otherwise,  which  aft"ect  'district  con- 
ditions.' as  beyond  their  jurisdiction.  There  is  no  formal  rule  to  this 
effect ;  but  this  limitation  of  the  Committee's  power  is  well  understood, 
and  no  difficulties  have  arisen." 

It  is  thus  the  rule  that  general  questions  of  district  or  national 
conditions  are  left  to  the  Trade  Unions,  while  the  Works  Committee 
deals  with  either  the  detailed  application  of  these  general  rules  within 
the  works  or  with  questions  entirely  peculiar  to  the  works.  On  the 
whole,  the  information  which  is  available  would  suggest  that  the  divi- 
sion of  jurisdiction  is  well  understood  and  closely  followed.  There  are, 
however,   certain  difficulties. 

In  the  first  place  there  is  evidence  of  uncertainty  as  to  whether  or 
not  a  Works  Committee  should  undertake  certain  functions ;  matters 
may  sometimes  seem  from  one  point  of  view  to  be  "branch"  or  "dis- 
trict" business,  and  from  another  to  be  "works"  business.  A  tool-room 
bonus,  for  instance,  may  be  arranged  in  a  works  between  a  committee 
and  the  works  manager,  and  they  may  agree  in  regarding  it  as  a  works 
aft'air.  wdiile  the  local  branch  (or  district  committee)  of  the  Union 
concerned  may  consider  that  it  is  a  question  of  wages  which  demands 
their  sanction.  In  view  of  the  variety  and  complexity  of  bonus  schemes 
which  have  been  instituted  in  munitions  factories,  and  of  the  possible 
reactions  of  these  uoon  standard  rates,  there  would  appear  to  be  some 
need  for  careful  definition  of  a  Works  Committee's  functions  in  this 
field. 

There  is  some  evidence  also  of  actual  conflict  of  authority.  Such 
cases,  however,  would  appear  to  have  been  given  an  altogether  dis- 
proportionate prominence  in  public  discussion,  to  the  detriment  of 
those  whose  main  desire  is  to  create  a  constitutional  machinery  suited 
to  new  and  rapidly  changing  conditions.  In  a  few  instances,  however, 
a  Works  Committee  would  appear  to  have  been  in  doubt  as  to  whether 
it  was  an  independent  organisation  or  one  subject  to  Trade  Union 
control.  Thus,  a  Works  Committee  wholly  composed  of  Trade  Union 
stewards  has  made  a  demand  for  an  advance  in  wages  to  which,  under 
an  alternative  agreement  made  by  the  Trade  Unions,  the  workmen 
represented  by  it  had  no  claim.  In  one  or  two  cases  represenrations 
have  been  made  to  Government  Departments  for  advances  in  wages 
and  improvements   in   other  working  conditions   in   individual   works, 

39 


independently  of  district  or  national  machinery,  though  the  works  in 
question  were  known  to  recognise  district  standards. 

It  would  appear  that  the  uncertainty  as  to  the  real  position  and 
powers  of  a  Works  Committee  in  relation  to  the  Trade  Unions  is,  at 
least  in  the  engineering  industry,  to  some  extent  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  various  members  of  a  committee  may  be  responsible  to  many  dif- 
ferent Unions.  Though,  therefore,  the  Works  Committee  may  aspire 
to  be  a  unit  of  government,  this  is  rendered  difficult  in  view  of  the 
different  and  possibly  conflicting  authorities  from  which  the  members 
obtain  their  status.  One  suggested  scheme  proposes  to  overcome  this 
particular  difficulty  so  far  at  least  as  the  Unions  of  skilled  men  are 
concerned.  It  would  bring  the  committees  in  the  various  establish- 
ments under  the  district  Engineering  Trades  Joint  Committee,  and  con- 
fine membership  of  any  committee  to  those  organised  in  the  Trade 
Unions  affiliated  to  the  district  committee.*  This  question  of  the 
relationship  of  works  to  district  committees  is  interesting  also  in  view 
of  the  proposals  contained  in  the  Whitley  Report.  That  Report  advo- 
cates Joint  National  and  District  Councils  and  \\"orks  Committees ;  and 
the  problem  of  the  relations  of  the  District  Council  and  the  Works 
Committee  and  their  relative  functions  is  one  which  will  need  to  be 
investigated  when  measures  are  being  adopted  to  institute  such 
Councils. 

The  need  for  this  consideration  of  relationships  between  Works 
Committees  and  the  district  Trade  Union  organisation  would  appear 
to  be  more  necessary  in  certain  industries  than  in  others.  It  would 
appear,  for  instance,  that  in  the  iron  and  steel  industry  the  fact  that 
members  in  one  works  commonly  form  a  branch  of  their  Union,  and 
that  the  secretaries  of  branches  are  usually — it  may  be  in  virtue  of  the 
office  they  hold — members  of  the  Works  Committee,  makes  the  problem 
of  inter-relations  less  difficult,  at  least  for  those  Unions  which  are 
organised  on  the  basis  of  works. 

A  point  of  procedure  may  be  noticed.  It  is  sometimes  the  case 
that  a  Trade  Union  official  accompanies  the  representatives  of  the 
Works  Committee  in  an  interview  w'ith  the  management;  or,  again,  a 
Trade  Union  official  may  attend  the  deliberations  of  a  Joint  Committee 
if  the  men  so  desire. t  But  this  apparently  is  exceptional ;  and,  as  a 
rule,  a  Works  Committee  acts  by  itself,  and  refers  to  Trade  Union 

*  See  p.  124.  In  another  case  where  the  firm's  proposals  for  a  Joint  Com- 
mittee are  being  considered  it  is  suggested  that  "the  representatives  of  the 
Trade  Societies  shall  be  elected  and  retire  in  accordance  with  the  rules  for 
the  time  being  of  the  Joint  Committee  of  Allied  Engineering  Trades,  and  shall 
be  subject  to  its  constitution."  In  this  instance  the  works  in  question  is  the 
only  considerable  establishment  in  the  town,  and  the  Trade  Unions  affiliated  to 
the  x\llied  Engineering  Trades  include  the  General  Labour  Union. 

t  It  may  also  be  noted  that  officials  of  the  various  Unions  were  members 
of  the  workmen's  side  of  the  Joint  Committee  formed  in  connection  with  a 
profit-sharing  scheme  instituted  before  the  war  by  a  well-known  shipbuilding 
firm  in  a  Northern  town. 

40 


officials  questions  which  are  too  large  or  too  difficult  to  be  settled  in 
the  works.  It  should,  however,  be  noted  that  many  trade  unionists 
are  of  the  opinion  that  the  right  of  the  Trade  Union  officials  to  attend 
committee  meetings  (or  to  inspect  the  minutes  of  a  committee)  is  a 
necessary  condition  of  the  satisfactory  solution  of  the  question  of 
inter-relations. 

Two  other  questions  which  are  involved  in  this  problem  of  the 
inter-relations  of  Works  Committees  and  Trade  Unions  call  for  notice. 

The  first  relates  to  the  victimisation  of  men  who  show  themselves 
active  as  shop  stewards  or  as  members  of  a  Works  Committee.  It  is 
impossible  to  estimate  to  what  extent  such  victimisation  actually  occurs, 
and  this  is  partly  due  to  the  difficulty  of  defining  what  victimisation 
is.  Workmen  complain  not  only  of  victimisation,  but  also  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  bringing  the  charge  home  even  when  (they  state)  they  have 
no  doubt  about  the  facts.  For  this  reason  many  of  them  hold  the  view 
that,  unless  the  Works  Committee  is  properly  related  to  and  protected 
by  Trade  Unions,  it  cannot  hope — in  certain  establishments  at  least — 
to  discuss  questions  before  the  management  with  that  sense  of  freedom 
which  is  essential  to  the  success  of  joint  deliberation.  In  this  connec- 
tion it  may  be  noted  that  one  of  two  reasons  given  for  the  short  terms 
of  office  of  the  shop  stewards  and  secretaries  of  committees  in  one 
mdustry  (one  and  three  months  respectively)  was  the  fear  of  victimisa- 
tion. The  other  reason — in  this  the  Works  Committee  appears  to 
revert  to  the  early  forms  of  conducting  the  business  of  Trade  Union 
branches — was  stated  to  be  the  desire  that  everyone  should  take  his 
^hare  of  office. 

The  other  question  relates  to  the  allegations  made  by  certain  Trade 
Unionists  that  certain  employers — more  particularly  in  one  or  two 
industries — are  fostering  the  growth  of  Works  Committees  in  order  to 
destroy  Trade  Union  influence  in  their  works.  The  danger,  it  is  said, 
from  the  point  of  view  of  Trade  Unionism  is  exactly  the  same  as  that 
which  is  believed  to  result  from  profit-sharing,  7'i^..  that  the  workman 
is  detached  from  his  fellows  and  his  power  to  obtain  certain  standard 
conditions  is  consequently  weakened.  The  further  charge  has  be^n 
made,  in  regard  to  one  or  two  industries,  that  the  employers  were  pro- 
posing, in  the  name  of  the  Wliitley  Report,  to  form  Works  Committees 
without  connection  with  the  Unions,  and  from  these  committees  to  build 
up  District  and  National  Councils  representative  of  employers  and 
employed.  It  must,  however,  be  emphasised  that  any  such  action  is 
directly  opposed  to  the  proposals  of  the  Whitley  Report.  These  pro- 
posals look  to  the  control  of  Works  Committees  l)y  National  or  District 
Councils  which,  on  the  workpeople's  side,  would  be  reiiresentative  of 
Trade  Unions  only ;  and,  in  order  that  Works  Committees  should  be 
formed  on  lines  satisfactory  to  the  national  organisations,  the  Report 
proposes  that  the  formation  of  Works  Committees  should,  as  far  as 
possible,   follow,   and   not  precede,  that  of  the   National   and   District 

41 


Councils.  A  logical  application  of  this  order  of  procedure  may  be 
impossible,  but  wherever  individual  employers  find  it  des'rable  to  form 
Works  Committees  before  National  or  District  Councils  are  instituted, 
the  idea  of  the  Whitley  Report  may  be  so  far  followed  that  such  pro- 
posals should  be  brought  before  the  Trade  Unions  concerned,  and 
they  should  be  asked  to  share  in  the  formation  of  the  Works 
Committee. 

VII._GENERAL  CONSIDERATIONS. 

The  applicability  of  Works  Committees  to  dififerent  industries  is  a 
matter  of  importance.     During  the   war  the  discussion  of  them  has 
been  associated  most  generally  with  the  engineering  industry,  and  it  is 
probably  in  that  industry  that,  for  reasons  already  stated,  their  develop- 
ment during  the  war  has  been  most  rapid.     This  development,  how- 
ever, has  by  no  means  been  confined  to  engineering;  and  in  certain 
other  industries,  for  example,  iron  and  steel  works,  there  has  been  a 
marked  increase.     If  we  consider  pre-war  experiences,  and  include  not 
only  general  committees  formed  for  special  purposes,  but  also  sectional 
committees,  it  would  appear  that  an  industry  in  which  committees  had 
not  been  in  existence  at  some  time  or  other  would  prove  the  exception 
rather  than  the  rule.     In  this  connection  one  may  note  that  in  establish- 
ments in  the  distributive  trades  several  committees  have  been  formed 
to  help  in  the  running  of  profit-sharing  schemes.    It  may  also  be  noted 
that  during  the  war  one  very  large  establishment  has  .seen  the  develop- 
ment not  only  of  separate  Committees  of  Shop  Stewards,  representing 
the  skilled  and  unskilled  sections  of  engineering  respectively,  but  of  at 
least  two  other  committees  constituted  on  more  or  less  similar  lines. 
One  of  these  is  composed  of  shop  stewards  from  the  building  trades, 
and  the  other  of   delegates   from  the   clerks   engaged   in  the  various 
departments.     The  works  in  question  is  exceptional,  not  only  in  size 
but  in  certain  other  respects,  so  that  it  cannot  very  well  be  taken  as  an 
example.     The  specific  representation  of  the  building  trades  may,  how- 
ever, be  put  alongside  the  previously  mentioned  examples  of  informal 
committees  constituted  on  big  works  of  building  construction.     It  may 
also  be  argued  that  if  a  committee  is  desirable  in  a  distributive  trading 
establishment  for  the  administration  of  a  bonus  scheme,  the  same  form 
of   organisation  may  be  useful  for  other  general  purposes.     It  mav 
further  be  argued — and  it  is  so  argued  by  some — that  a  Works  Com- 
mittee is  desirable  in  any  establishment  in  which  more  than  a  certain 
number  of  people  are  employed.     Whether  the  organisation  is  either 
necessary  or  desirable  in  every  or  nearly  every  kind  of  establishment  is 
a  question  which  the  future  must  solve.     Here  it  may  be  noted  that  at 
present  considerations  almost   diametrically   opposite   to  one   another 
appear  to  determine  the  general  absence  of  committees  from  different 
groups  of  industries  :  in  some  this  would  appear  to  be  due  to  the  absence 
or  the  weakness  of  Trade   Union  organisation,   while   in   others   the 

42 


strength  of  Trade  Union  organisation  makes  Works  Committees  unnec- 
essary for  the  purposes  which  call  them  into  existence  in  a  number  of 
industries. 

The  cotton  industry  is  a  case  in  point.  Here  the  contiguity  of  the 
mills,  and  the  fact  that  conditions  are  so  uniform  that  district  piece-lists 
ar  practicable,  ensure  that  the  strong  district  organisation  (with  its 
permanent  secretary  on  both  sides  and  its  district  committee  on  l)oth 
sides)  is  adequate  to  those  needs  which  in  engineering,  for  instance, 
have  pi-oduced  the  demand  for  a  works  organisation.  The  same  prob- 
lem of  wages  has  necessitated  in  other  industries,  e.g.,  certain  of  those 
coming  under  the  Trade  Boards  Acts,  direct  State-enforcement  of 
piece-rates.  Though  for  this  purpose  a  Works  Committee  may  be 
unnecessary  or  undesirable  in  both  groups  of  industries,  it  may  be  that 
other  purposes  will  produce  a  similar  form  of  organisation.  It  would 
appear  that  most  of  the  needs  to  which  reference  has  been  made  in 
this  report  are  not  quite  peculiar  to  any  one  type  of  industrial  estab- 
lishment, but  more  or  less  common  to  all.  Questions  of  foremanship 
may  be  given  as  one  instance.  Welfare  is  another;  very  many  mat- 
ters can  be  brought  under  its  scope,  and  it  seems  likely  that  in  future 
Works  Committees  will  come  to  play  a  greater  part  in  their 
administration.* 

It  may  be  suggested  that  the  size  of  the  works  concerned  is  a 
factor  of  importance  in  any  discussion  of  the  range  of  application  of  a 
system  of  Works  Committees.  It  is  sometimes  urged  that  Works 
Committees  are  only  valuable  in  large  works,  in  which  the  workmen 
number  3,000  or  upwards.  It  is  certainly  true  that  the  larger  the 
works,  the  greater  the  help  which  a  Works  Committee  can  give  in 
putting  the  higher  ranks  of  the  management  in  touch  with  the  feelings 
and  needs  of  the  men.  In  a  small  works  the  manager  will  probably 
be  able  to  familiarise  himself  with  every  detail  of  the  work,  and  he  will 
be  brought  into  contact  with  nearly  every  workman.  He  may  feel  that 
he  is  already  in  close  touch  with  the  men,  and  that  a  Works  Commit- 
tee cannot  make  the  touch  closer.  Even  here,  however,  a  Works  Com- 
mittee is  likely  to  help.  It  will  enable  the  management  to  discuss  mat- 
ters not  with  isolated  individuals,  l)ut  with  the  accredited  representa- 
tives of  the  whole  body  of  the  men,  and  it  may  help  to  bring  to  light 
difficulties,  needs,  feelings  and  defects  which  might  otherwise  have 
remained  concealed.  A  Works  Committee  may  thus  serve  not  to  sup- 
l^lant,  but  to  supplement,  the  advantages  of  personal  touch,  even  in 
small  establishments ;  while  in  large  establishments,  where  personal 
contact  is  not  so  easy,  the  help  which  it  may  give  is  obvious.  In  any 
case  it  should  be  remarked  that  committees  are  to  be  found  in  works 


*  Since  the  above  paragraph  was  written  a  movement  to  bring  the  union 
organisation  more  closely  into  relationship  with  the  conditions  in  individual 
cotton  mills  has  produced  a  scheme  in  the  Oldham  district.  The  proposal  is 
to  make  shop  (or  mill)  clubs  an  integral  part  of  the  district  union,  to  deal 
with  shop  grievances,  &c. 

43 


of  very  different  sizes.  One  committee  is  concerned  with  workers  in  a 
single  establishment  to  the  number  of  10.000  men  ;  many  are  to  be 
found  in  works  in  which  the  workmen  number  about  3.000;  a  number 
exist  in  works  employing  about  100  workmen.     . 

To  this  may  be  added  the  expression  of  opinion  of  the  owuier  and 
manager  of  a  small  printing  office  where  the  compositors'  chapel  (there 
is  only  the  one  chapel  in  the  office)  has  at  present  only  ten  members. 
He  is  in  direct  contact  with  each  of  the  men ;  but  he  has  found  it  advan- 
tageous in  the  past  to  have  the  father  of  the  chapel  and  one  or  two  of 
the  other  compositors  together  "for  a  talk  over  tea."  This,  it  may  be 
said,  is  done,  in  many  s'uall  businesses.  It  may,  however,  be  worth 
while  to  consider  the  advisability  of  putting  such  discussion  on  a  regu- 
lar footing  even  in  small  Inisinesses.  In  the  instance  mentioned  the 
employer  proposes  to  make  a  trial  of  regular  discussions.  Probably 
the  only  generalisation  one  can  safely  make  about  the  need  for  Works 
Committees  in  relation  to  the  size  of  establishments  is  that  the  need 
increases  with  the  size. 

There  remain  two  points  of  importance.  One  is  the  (|uestion  of 
tlie  practical  success  of  Works  Committees;  the  other  the  im])ortance 
from  that  point  of  view  of  the  human  factor. 

As  regards  the  first  question,  evidence  is  forthcoming  from  all 
parts  of  the  country — the  Clyde,  the  Tyne,  the  Midlands,  the  Bristol, 
Manchester,  Yorkshire,  and  London  districts.  As  regards  the  second, 
this  much  is  clear:  success  depends  to  a  great  extent  on  the  existence 
of  a  spirit  of  counsel  and  understanding  on  both  sides.  If  "the  man- 
agement door  stands  open"  to  all  legitimate  grievances,  and  if  the  men 
are  ready  to  present  their  grievances  and  to  take  into  consideration  the 
difficulties  of  the  management,  the  fundamental  conditions  are  present. 
Aluch  will  always  depend  on  the  personalities  concerned.  Every 
human  institution  requires  for  its  success  the  guidance  of  personalities. 
A  \\'orks  Committee  requires  for  its  chairman  or  secretary — or,  at  any 
rate,  one  may  say,  ideally  requires  for  its  chairman  or  secretary — a 
man  of  personality,  trusted  by  his  fellow-workmen,  respected  by  the 
management,  with  the  spirit  of  service,  and  ready,  in  that  spirit,  to  give 
his  services  freely  in  the  cause  of  his  committee.  It  requires  no  less 
a  sympathetic  and  capable  management,  ready  to  listen,  ready  to  weigh 
carefully,  ready  to  take  pains  in  discussion,  and  prepared  to  persuade 
and  to  be  persuaded.  It  is  one  of  the  most  encouraging  signs  of  the 
times  that  on  both  sides  such  men  .have  been  found,  and  that,  both 
among  the  management  and  the  men.  personalities  have  emerged  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  institution. 

Works  Committees  mean  discussion;  discussion  takes  time;  and 
from  this  point  of  view  it  is  sometimes  argued  that  a  \\'ork  Committee 
may  tend  to  slow  down  the  pace  of  industry;  and.  again,  that  it  may 
be  difficult  to  convince  a  committee  of  the  value  and  the  feasibility  of  a 
new  idea  or  process,  so  that  the  way  of  innovation  mav  be  somewhat 

44 


impeded.  These,  however,  are  ■  theoretical  objections.  In  practice 
Works  Committees — the  evidence  would  suggest — have  improved  time- 
keeping and  increased  output,  and  in  that  way  thev  have  accelerated 
rather  than  impeded  the  pace  of  industry.  In  practice,  again,  thev 
ha\e  been  the  opposite  of  conservative,  and  instead  of  checking  change 
they  have  themselves  suggested  change.  And  even  if  they  made  the 
pace  slower,  or  change  more  difificult,  they  have  advantages  that  would 
compensate,  and  more  than  compensate,  for  these  defects.  They  make 
for  better  relations  and  greater  harmony,  and  these  are  the  things  that 
matier  most  to  industry.  More  time  is  gained  by  the  absence  of  dis- 
putes than  is  lost  by  the  presence  of  discussion  :  more  improvements 
can  be  introduced  in  an  atmosphere  of  harmonv  than  can  possil)ly  be 
introduced  in  an  atmosphere  of  suspicion. 

That  Works  Committees  have,  in  the  great  majoritv  of  cases, 
tended  to  introduce  greater  harmony,  and,  through  it,  greater  efficiency, 
is  proved  by  the  evidence  of  those  concerned  in  their  working.  It  is 
not  denied  that  in  some  cases  (though  these  are  very  few)  Works  Com- 
nuttees  have  failed.  A  few  cases  of  such  failure  have  been  noted  in 
committees  instituted  during  the  war  for  general  purposes.  In  one  of 
these  the  failure  was  perhaps  due  mainly  to  defects  of  machinery,  and 
it  is  stated  that  the  Works  Committee  may  be  resuscitated;  in  another 
the  failure  was  due  to  deep-seated  causes,  which  made  success  impos- 
sible, and  the  failure  reflects  no  discredit  on  the  institution.  In  almost 
every  case,  however,  the  testimony  is  to  the  opposite  effect.  Some- 
times introduced  with  difficulty  and  amid  susi)icion,  committees  have 
established  themselves  and  done  ser^•ice  which  is  acknowledged  even 
l)v  their  original  opponents.  By  providing  a  channel  for  the  ventila- 
tion of  grievances  at  an  early  stage,  and  before  they  become  acute, 
they  have  prevented  disputes  and  strikes,  and  they  have  improved  time- 
keeping and  increased  out]nit.  Xor  is  this  all.  The  functions  of 
Works  Committees -are  not  merely  concerned  with  bringing  grievances 
l)efore  the  management,  but  also  with  a  preliminary  enc|uiry  into  griev- 
ances, in  order  to  decide  whether  they  are  well-grounded  and  serious 
enough  to  be  brought  before  the  manage  nent.  The  work  which  they 
do  in  this  preliminary  stage  is  not  the  least  valuable  part  of  their  work, 
and,  far  from  hampering  the  management,  it  obviously  does  the  reverse 
and  relieves  the  management  of  difficulties  and  grievances  il  would 
otherwise  have  to  face.  Grievances  are  either  nii)ped  in  the  bud  by 
being  shown,  upon  discussion  in  committee,  to  be  unfounded,  or  they 
are  settled  in  discussion  between  the  secretary  of  the  committee  and 
the  foreman  or  head  of  the  department,  and  in  either  case  they  never 
come  to  the  main  management.  When  grievances  cannot  be  settled  in 
this  wav — since,  for  example,  they  may  involve  the  hea'l  of  a  depart- 
ment directly — there  remains  the  possibility  of  access  to  the  main  man- 
agement. The  necessity  for  this  has  l^een  emphasised  by  l)oth  repre- 
sentative employers  and  rei)resentati\e  workmen  :  and  ui)on  it.  so  tar  as 

45 


can  be  judged,  depends  not  only  the  removal  of  grievances,  but  (what  is 
still  more  important)  that  really  suggestive  and  constructive  work 
which  the  signatories  to  the  Whitley  Report  had  in  mind  in  recom- 
mending that  workpeople  should  be  given  a  larger  voice  in  determining 
industrial  conditions. 

In  more  than  one  works  the  summary  of  opinion  on  a  Works  Com- 
mittee— and  that  not  on  one  side  only,  but  on  both — has  been  expressed 
in  the  phrase,  "This  is  the  best  thing  that  has  ever  happened  in  the 
shop."  Such  a  summary  could  not  be  given  if  experience  had  not 
proved  that  a  Works  Committee  was  more  than  a  piece  of  machinery 
and  something  different  from  the  old  methods  of  industrial  conciliation. 
It  means  that  a  Works  Committee  is  felt  to  be  something  vital  and 
something  new — something  that  enlists  the  workers  in  real  participa- 
tion, and  something  that  offers  fresh  promise  for  the  future. 


46 


Appendix  I 

WORKS  COMMITTEES. 

Questionnaire. 
Origin. 
(a)   \\'hen  did  the  Committee  come  into  existence? 
{b)   Under  what  circumstances  did  it  arise? 

{c)  What  procedure  was  adopted  to  put  the  proposal  of  a  Com- 
mittee before  the  employees  ( or  management  where  the 
initiative  came  from  the  employees),  and  draft  a  constitu- 
tion? 

Constitution. 
(a)    Is  there  one  Committee  only,  or  more  than  one? 
If  more  than  one  what  are  their  relations,  if  any? 
In  the  case  of  each : — 
{h)   Is  it  a  joint  committee,  representative  of  management  and 

employees,  or  a  committee  of  employees  alone? 
{c)   In  the  latter  case  what  arrangements  exist  for  meeting  the 

management  ? 
{d)    In  the  former  case  does  the  workers'  side  constitute  a  separate 

committee,  meeting  apart  from  the  joint  committee? 
{e)  How  are  the  workers'  representatives  chosen?  What  classes, 
grades  of  workers,  or  departments  are  represented  and 
in  what  proportion  ?  Are  any  classes  of  workers  not 
represented  ? 
(/)  \Miat  representation,  if  any,  have  Trade  Unions,  as  such,  on 
the  Committee? 

i.    Is  the  whole  or  any  part  of  the  meml)ership  of  the 

Committee  confined  to  Trade  Unionists? 
ii.    Has    any    Union    any    part    in    the    appointment   of 

members  ? 
iii.    Is  anv  full-time  Trade  L'nion  official  admitted  to  sit 
with  the  Committee,  and  if  so,  in  what  capacity? 
iv.    What  is  the  relation   (if  any)   of  the  Committee  to 
the    Trade    Union    stewards   or   delegates    in   the 
works  ? 
{g)   How  are  the  representatives  of  the  management  appointed? 
(/i)   \\'hat  officers  has  the  Committee,  and  how  are  they  appointed  ? 
(^)    What  changes  in  the  constitution  of  the  Committee  have  been 
made   since  the  establishment  of   the  Committee,   and   for 
what  reasons? 

47 


(/)    \Miat  changes  in  the  constitution  are  desired  by  either  side, 
and  for  what  reasons  ? 

3.    JVhat  arc  the  Functions  of  the  Committee f 

(a)  i.    Wages  questions — 

Piece  prices.     Bonus  times. 
Allocation  of  collective  bonus. 
Application  of  wage  orders,  &c. 
ii.    Working  hours — 
"Clocking." 
Breaks.     Shifts, 
iii.    Allocation  of  work — 

Piece  and  time.     Demarcation. 
Dilution. 

Overtime.     Short  time, 
iv.    Works  organisation — ■ 

Suggestion  of  improvements. 
Discussion  of  proposed  innovations. 
Place  of  apprentices. 
V.    Discipline — 

Timekeeping.     Language. 
Methods  of  foremen, 
vi.    Disputes — 

Discussion  of  complaints. 
Settlement  of  differences, 
vii.    Welfare — 

Canteen  management.    Rest  periods. 
Sanitation.     Works  amenities, 
viii.    Any  other  functions — 

(It  is  desirable  to  make  the  list  of  functions 
as  comprehensive  as  possible  for  the  purpose  of 
comparison.) 

(b)  Are  the  powers  of  the  Committee  specified  in  the  constitu- 

tion? or  determined  by  the  chairman?  or  unspecified? 

(c)  Have  there  been  any  changes  in  the   function  of  the   Com- 

mittee   since    it   was    established?     If    so,    what    were    the 
reasons  ? 

4.    Proccdnre. 

(a)  i.  How,  and  by  whom,  are  matters  brought  before  the 
Committee  ? 
ii.  Does  the  Committee  meet  at  stated  periods,  or  onlv  when 
specially  summoned  ?  How  is  a  meeting  summoned  ? 
iii.  H  the  firm  is  represented  on  the  Committee,  do  the 
worker  members  meet  separately  before  the  joint 
meeting  ? 

48 


iv.  If  the  times  of  meeting-  are  irregular,  please  state  the 
number  of  meetings  held  during  each  of  the  last  three 
months. 

V.  Do  the  meetings  take  place  in  employers'  or  in  workers* 
time  ? 

vi.    How  long  does  a  meeting  usually  last? 

vii.    Is  there  any  payment  for  attendance?     If  so,  by  whom? 

(b)     In  case  of  failure  on  the  part  of  the  Committee  to  settle  any 

question,  to  what  authority  is  the  question  taken?    Give  an 

example  of  the  stages  through  which  a  complaint  could  go. 

5.  Relations  iitith  Trade  Unions. 

(a)  What  proportion  of  the  employees  of  the  firm  are  members 

of  Unions?     Of  what  Unions  are  they  members? 

(b)  Does  the  firm  recognise  all,  or  any,  of  these  Unions? 

(c)  Have  the  Union  ofiicials  assisted  or  obstructed- the  estal)lish- 

ment  and  working  of  the  Committee? 

(d)  Is  any  provision  made  for  the  safeguarding  of  small  sectional 

interests   (such  as  the  Scientific  Instrument  Makers  in  an 
engineering  works)  ? 

6.  General. 

(a)  The  attitude  of  the  management  to  Committees.  On  what 
occasions,  if  any,  has  the  management  refused  to  carry  out 
a  Committee's  decisions? 

(&)  Have  the  men  in  the  works  accepted  or  rejected  a  Commit- 
tee's decisions? 

(c)  The  possibility  and  difliculties  of  dove-tailing  Works  Com- 

mittees into  the  existing  Trade  Union  organisations. 

(d)  Effectiveness  and  results  of  the  establishment  of  Works  Com- 

mittees on  the  relations  between  employers  and  employed. 

(e)  The  desirability  of  separate  Committees  to  deal  with  different 

types  of  functions  {e.g.,  wages  questions,  welfare,  &c.). 
(/)    Possible   directions   in   which  the   functions   of   Committees 

could  be  extended. 
(g)   The    relation    of    Works    Committees    to    unofficial     Shop 

Stewards. 

(A^.  B. — It  is  the  suggestions  and  feelings  of  employers,  managers, 
trade  union  officials  and  w^orkpeople  it  is  particularly  important  to  col- 
lect. The  investigator's  own  criticisms  and  suggestions  should  be 
embodied  in  a  separate  report.) 


49 


Appendix  II 

REPORTS    ON    INDR7DUAL   WORKS    COMMITTEES,   &C.* 


(A)  to  (P) — Engineering.  Shipbuilding,  and  Iron  and  Steel  Industries. 
(Q)  to  (W) — Boot  and  Shoe,  Woollen,  and  other  Industries. 

PAGE 

( A)  Messrs.  Hans  Renold.  Ltd.,  Manchester 51 

(B)  Messrs.  Rolls-Royce.  Ltd..  Derby 55 

(C)  Messrs.  The  Phoenix  Dynamo  Co.,  Ltd.,  Bradford — Wages 

Committees 57 

(D)  Messrs.  Barr  &  Stroud,  Ltd.,  Glasgow 62 

(E)  A  Large  Engineering  Establishment — Dilution  Committee.  .  65 

(F)  An  Establishment  Making  Motor  Cars  and  Aeroplanes 67 

(G)  Messrs.  The  Horstmann  Gear  Co.,  Ltd.,  Bath 70 

(H)   Messrs.  H.  O.  Strong  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Bristol 72 

(I)    Messrs.  Guest,  Keen  &  Nettlefold,  Ltd.,  Birmingham 75 

(J)    A  Firm  of  Electrical  Engineers 78 

(K)    Messrs.  Hotchkiss  et  Cie,   Coventry 80 

(L)   A  Large  Engineering  Establishment 81 

{ M)  A  Munitions  Factory 83 

(N)    Messrs.  Whitehead  Torpedo  \\'orks    (Weymouth),  Ltd. — 

Memorandum  on  Proposals 84 

(O)  A  Shipbuilding  Yard    86 

(P)   Parkgate  Works  Joint  Trades  Committee 90 

(Q)   A  Firm  of  Boot  Manufacturers 92 

(R)   Messrs.  Reuben  Gaunt  &  Sons,  Ltd..  Farsley 93 

(S)    Messrs.  Fox  Brothers  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Wellington 97 

(T)   Messrs.  Rowntree  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  York 99 

(U)   A  Printing  Office 104 

(V)   A  Soap  Works — Welfare  Committee 105 

(W)   A  Coal  Aliner's  Statement  on  Output  Committees 107 

*  The  statements  given  below  are  in  some  cases  supplied  by  the  firms,  but 
in  most  cases  have  been  compiled  by  the  investigator  on  statements  made  to 
him  by  the  management  and  representatives  of  the  workers  on  the  Committee. 
Wherever  possible,  pains  have  been  taken  to  ensure  that  the  statement  accords 
with  the  views  of  all  parties  concerned  with  the   Committee. 

50 


(A)  Messrs.  Hans  Renold.  Ltd.,  Burnage  Works.  Didshury, 

Manchester. 

Industry :  Engineering.  Number  of  Employees,  2,600.  Number 
•of  Departments  and  (in  round  numbers)  average  of  workers  in  each — 
17  departments,  160  in  each.     Males  1,000.     Women  1.600. 

At  this  establishment  there  are  three  different  committees  : — 

( 1)  The  first  of  these  is  the  "Council"  of  the  Social  Union  of  the 
W^orks,  which  includes  about  two-thirds  of  the  whole  body  of  the 
workers.  The  Social  Union  is  managed  entirely  by  its  members,  and 
has  been  in  existence  for  the  last  eight  years ;  it  is  concerned  with 
games,  recreations,  and  educational  activities,  such  as  the  formation  of 
study-circles ;  it  is  said  to  have  done  a  valuable  work  in  helping  to 
create  a  feeling  of  community  and  to  have  prepared  the  ground  for 
later  developments. 

(2)  The  second  is  a  Welfare  Committee,  concerned  with  shop 
amenities,  which  came  into  existence  about  a  year  ago.  This  commit- 
tee is  a  joint  committee.  On  the  worker's  side  there  are  17  representa- 
tives for  as  many  constituencies ;  each  constituency  is,  roughly  speak- 
ing, comprised  of  workers  employed  on  the  same  sort  of  operation  and 
in  the  same  building,  but  men  and  women  vote  and  are  represented 
separately ;  the  election  is  by  l)allot,  and  every  worker  (Unionist  or  non- 
Unionist)  is  entitled  to  vote.  Trade  Unionism  is  officially  represented 
by  a  delegate  from  the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee.  The  Secretary  of 
the  Social  Union  is  also  a  member  of  the  W^elfare  Committee.  On  the 
■side  of  the  management  the  Committee  is  composed  of  one  of  the  i)art- 
ners  in  the  business,  the  employment  manager,  the  women's  employ- 
ment manager,  and  such  of  the  assistant  works  managers  as  wish  to 
attend ;  generally  the  number  is  about  6.  The  chair  is  taken  by  the 
■chief  representative  of  the  management,  and  he  provides  the  secretary; 
the  meetings  are  monthly.  The  functions  of  the  Welfare  Committee 
are  to  advise  the  management  on  matters  which  it  wishes  to  hear  dis- 
cussed, to  bring  to  the  notice  of  the  management  questions  (  other  than 
those  of  wages  and  Trade  Union  matters)  which  the  workers  wish  to 
have  discussed,  and  to  consider  suggestions  for  improvements.  The 
questions  that  have  actually  been  discussed  include  the  treatment  of 
eye-cases,  the  provision  of  first-aid  and  the  prevention  of  accidents,  the 
provision  of  overalls,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  seats  and  the  main- 
tenance of  order  and  comfort  in  the  men's  and  women's  dining-rooms. 
The  members  attend  well ;  they  meet  in  overtime  hours  at  present,  and 
are  paid  overtime  wages  for  the  time  they  spend  at  meetings,  but  it  is 
hoped  that  in  normal  times  the  meetings  will  be  held  outside  working 
hours  and  that  attendance  will  be  regarded  as  a  form  of  voluntary 
service.  It  is  possible  that  in  the  future  a  separate  preliminary  meet- 
ing may  be  arranged  for  the  women  representatives  from  time  to  time ; 
h  is  possible,  too,  that  in  the  future  the  management  will  absent  tbcm- 

51 


selves  at  every  alternate  meeting,  in  order  that  the  representatives  of 
the  workers  may  discuss  matters  by  themselves. 

(3)  The  third  committee  is  that  of  the  Shop  Stewards.  This  was 
formed  by  a  spontaneous  movement  among  the  Trade  Unionists  in  the 
establishment,  at  the  time  when  the  Welfare  Committee  was  under  con- 
sideration. Room  has  been  found  in  practice  for  both,  and  the  firm 
has  from  the  first  recognised  the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee.  The 
Shop  Stewards  are  elected  by  the  Trade  Unionists  in  the  establishment  ; 
they  are  seven  in  number,  but  the  number  is  likely  to  grow.  At  the 
invitation  of  the  firm,  they  send  one  of  their  members  to  sit  on  the 
Welfare  Committee,  but  it  is  worth  noticing  that  otherwise  the  com- 
position of  the  two  bodies  is  distinct,  and  the  same  person  has  not  been 
elected  a  member  of  both.  The  Shop  Stewards  elect  their  own  chair- 
man and  secretary.  While  the  Welfare  Committee  is  concerned  with 
shop  amenities,  the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee  deals  with  questions  of 
wages  and  Trade  Union  matters  in  general.  As  soon  as  it  was  formed, 
the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee  asked  and  obtained  the  approval  of  the 
District  Committee  of  the  particular  Union  to  which  its  meml)ers  almost 
entirely  belong.  The  Secretary  of  the  Committee  sends  the  names  of 
its  members  to  the  District  Committee,  which  issues  a  card  to  each 
entitling  him  to  act  as  an  official  Shop  Steward.  The  Committee  meets 
(in  the  firm's  time)  at  the  beginning  of  each  month,  and  after  discus- 
sion sends  to  the  management  a  list  of  the  questions  it  wishes  to  have 
discussed ;  the  management  adds  questions  which  it  wishes  to  bring 
forward,  and  the  head  of  the  management  and  various  managers  then 
meet  the  Committee  for  discussion ;  but  a  meeting  is  held  between  the 
management  and  the  Committee  monthly,  whether  there  is  definite  busi- 
ness or  no.  Sometimes  foremen  are  present  when  a  subject  vitally  con- 
cerning them  is  under  discussion.  From  the  point  of  view  of  the  men 
the  advantage  of  the  committee  is  that  they  can  go  direct  to  the  manage- 
ment, while  before  they  could  only  go  direct  to  the  foremen.  From 
the  point  of  view  of  the  management  the  Committee  has,  on  the  whole, 
conduced  to  smoother  working  of  the  establishment;  and  questions  of 
the  method  of  paying  wages,  of  increased  bonus,  and  of  alleged  vic- 
timisation of  workers  by  foremen  have  been  threshed  out  freely 
between  the  two  sides.  In  connection  with  the  position  of  the  fore- 
men, it  is  thought  that  it  may  be  necessary  to  devise  some  scheme, 
such  as  regular  meetings  between  the  foremen  and  the  management  on 
any  questions  raised  in  the  Committee  which  afifect  their  position,  in 
order  to  avoid  any  clashing  between  the  foremen  and  the  Committee. 
It  is  also  thought  that  it  may  be  necessary  to  draw  up  rules  to  determine 
the  right  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Committee  to  enter  departments  of  the 
works  to  consult  with  individual  workmen  about  complnints.  (These 
rules  have  since  been  drawn  up  and  are  Cdntained  in  the  following 
Note.) 

52 


Both  the  Welfare  Committee  and  the  Shop  Stewards'  Comiiiiltee 
are  used  in  this  estahhshment  as  means  for  the  announcement  and 
explanation  of  intended  action  by  the  management.  Announcements 
have  been  made,  for  instance,  of  new  methods  of  grouping  the  work, 
and  again  of  the  appointments  of  foremen  and  the  general  grounds  on 
which  they  are  based. 

Note.— REGULATIONS  GOVERNING  ACTIVITIES  OF  SHOP 

STEWARDS. 
Meetings. 

1.  The  Directors  will  give  the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee  facilities 
for  holding  committee  meetings,  including  the  use  of  a  room,  twice  per 
month,  one  such  meeting  to  take  place,  unless  otherwise  arranged,  on 
the  first  Wednesday  of  each  month  at  6.15  p.m. 

2.  The  Management  will  meet  the  Committee,  in  general,  once  per 
month,  such  meeting  to  take  place  on  the  second  Wednesday  at  6.15 
p.m.  unless  otherwise  arranged. 

3.  The  Directors  will  allow  the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee  the 
use  of  one  of  the  Works  Dining  Rooms  twice  a  year,  for  general  works 
meetings. 

4.  If  extra  meetings  are  desired,  either  Avith  the  Management,  for 
Committee  meetings,  or  for  general  shop  meetings,  application  should 
be  made  to  the  Employment  Manager. 

5.  In  the  case  of  the  regular  meetings  of  the  Committee  or  the 
monthly  joint  meetings  with  the  Management,  if  overtime  is  being 
worked,  and  a  steward  would  have  been  working  during  a  meeting, 
time  spent  at  such  a  meeting  will  be  paid  for  as  though  spent  at  work. 

Procedure. 

6.  The  Superintendent  is  the  executive  authority  in  each  depart- 
ment, and  his  instructions  must  be  obeyed,  even  though  a  Shop  Steward 
considers  an  order  unreasonable.  In  such  a  case  the  constitutional 
procedure  is  to  obey  the  order,  and  to  lay  a  complaint  or  call  for  inves- 
tigation afterwards. 

7.  Stewards  have  the  right  to  make  any  complaint  or  suggestion 
to  a  Superintendent  with  regard  to  the  rules  he  makes,  his  treatment 
of  any  individual  or  individuals,  his  application  of  general  shop  rules 
or  policy,  &c. 

8.  In  no  case  will  a  Superintendent  refuse  to  listen  to  and  investi- 
gate any  bond  fide  case  brought  forward  by  a  Shop  Steward,  and  to' 
give  him  an  answer. 

9.  If  a  steward  is  not  satisfied  with  a  Superintendent's  handling 
of  a  question,  he  may  refer  the  matter  to  the  Shop  Stewards'  Commit- 
tee for  dis.cussion,  if  the  Committee  so  desires,  with  the  Management 
at  the  next  monthly  joint  meeting. 

53 


10.  Jt  is  considered  highly  desirable  that  the  Stewards  should  get 
as  many  questions  as  possible  settled  direct  with  their  own  Superin- 
tendents. This  does  not  mean  that  matters  under  discussion  can  be 
allowed  to  drag  out  unnecessarily,  and  when  feeling  is  running  high  the 
Shop  Stewards  should  take  up  a  question  immediately  with  the  Employ- 
ment Manager  or  the  Works  Director,  but  always  with  the  cognisance 
of  the  Superintendent. 

11.  When  a  complaint  is  made  by  a  Steward  to  a  Superintendent 
on  behalf  of  another  individual,  it  must  be  understood  that  the  Superin- 
tendent has  every  right  to  discuss  the  matter  direct  with  the  individual 
concerned.  This  is  not  intended  as  a  means  of  putting  ofif  the  Steward, 
but  is  a  statement  of  the  Superintendent's  right  and  duty  to  maintain 
the  most  intimate  and  friendly  relations  possible  with  each  and  all  his 
men.  In  such  a  case  no  decision  will  be  come  to  between  the  Superin- 
tendent and  the  individual  except  jointly  with  the  Steward. 

Similarly,  every  man  has  a  right  to  approach  his  Superintendent 
direct,  without  asking  the  help  of  the  Steward  of  his  department,  if 
he  so  desires. 

General  Arrangements  and  Discipline. 

12.  The  Management  desires  that  Shop  Stewards  shall  have  such 
reasonable  facilities  as  are  necessary  for  carrying  out  their  functions, 
and  expects  that  in  return  these  will  be  exercised  in  such  a  way  as  to 
involve  a  minimum  of  interference  with  their  work. 

13.  Meetings,  formal  or  informal,  cannot  be  held  in  working 
hours,  except  by  special  permission,  and  men  should  not  bring  griev- 
ances or  questions  to  their  Shop  Stewards  during  working  hours,  but 
should  wait  for  the  next  break. 

14.  Shop  Stewards  may  visit  the  Secretary  of  the  Shop  Stewards' 
Committee  during  working  hours  on  notifying  their  Superintendent. 
Similarly,  the  Secretary  may  visit  any  of  the  Stewards  on  notifying 
his  Superintendent.  Each  Steward  is  expected  to  make  arrangements 
mutually  satisfactory  to  his  Superintendent  and  himself  for  the  notifica- 
tion of  visits  when  the  Superintendent  is  temporarily  absent  from  the 
department.  The  time  spent  in  visiting  should  be  restricted  as  much 
as  possible,  and  must  not  be  made  an  excuse  for  inefficiency  of  work. 

This  arrangement  is  subject  to  reconsideration,  should  the  number 
of  Stewards  in  the  works  exceed  10. 

15.  When  decisions  are  taken  at  a  joint  meeting  with  the  Manage- 
ment, Shop  Stewards  shall  not  announce  same  to  their  men  until  the 
dinner  time  of  the  following  day,  so  as  to  give  time  for  the  Superin- 
tendents to  be  made  cognisant  of  what  transpired. 

These  regulations  are  subject  to  revision  at  any  time  by  arrange- 
ment between  the  Management  and  the  Shop  Stewards'  Committee. 

Hans  Renold,  Ltd.,  Manchester. 
20th  October,  1917. 

54 


(B)  Messrs.  Rolls-Royce.  Ltd.,  Dekry. 
Works:  Engineering;  Motor-cars.  Employees:  6.000.  Depart- 
ments: 35  to  40  have  shop  stewards  of  their  own,  but  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  management  the  departments  may  be  enumerated  as 
about  80,  with  about  300  men  in  the  largest  (the  test  department)  down 
to  about  20  in  the  smallest.  General  labourers  (including  women) 
about  500.  Women:  About  1,500  (of  whom  about  100  are  general 
labourers). 

1.  This  establishment  is  very  strongly  unionist,  and  before  the  war 
98  per  cent,  of  the  employees  were  unionist — a  figure  which  has  sunk 
a  little  during  the  War  owing  to  dilution.  The  relations  between  the 
management  and  the  men  are  described  by  both  sides  as  "of  the  best." 
The  works  would  appear  to  be  regarded  by  the  labour  opinion  of  the 
district  generally  with  distinct  favour. 

The  Committee  at  the  works  is  one  of  Shop  Stewards  (just  as  the 
Committees  at  two  other  establishments  here  described — those  of 
Messrs.  Hans  Renold  and  Messrs.  Barr  and  Stroud — are  also  Com- 
mittees of  Shop  Stewards).  The  interesting  feature  of  this  Committee 
of  Shop  Stewards  is  that  it  goes  back  to  a  period  previous  to  the  war. 
It  originated  as  follows  : — Originally  individual  workmen  laid  their 
grievances  before  the  management,  bringing  (according  to  the  general 
habit)  a  companion  to  help  them  to  state  their  case.  As  time  went 
on,  men  who  were  recognised  as  good  companions  to  bring  were  sorted 
out,  and  they  became  semi-official  advocates.  About  1912  or  1913  this 
informal  system  developed  into  a  recognised  Committee  of  Shop  Stew- 
ards. This  Committee  is  what  exists  to-day.  There  is  little  difference 
in  the  present  system  from  what  was  usual  before  the  war. 

2.  Each  department  elects  its  own  Shop  Steward,  the  total  number 
of  whom  is  nearly  40.  There  are  about  nine  different  unions  with 
Shop  Stewards;  but  more  than  half  of  the  Shop  Stewards  belong  to 
the  A.S.E.  The  fact  that  there  is  a  majority  of  A.S.E.  Stewards  has 
apparently  produced  no  difficulty.  The  various  Shop  Stewards  form 
a  Committee,  with  a  Chairman  who  bears  the  name  of  convenor.  On 
questions  affecting  a  particular  department  or  departments,  the  con- 
venor interviews  the  management,  by  appointment,  along  with  the 
Shop  Steward  or  Shop  Stewards  concerned ;  while  on  questions  aft'ect- 
ing  all  the  works,  he  interviews  the  management,  by  appointment,  along 
with  all  the  rest  of  the  Shop  Stewards.  There  are  no  fixed  or  regular 
meetings  with  the  management,  but  there  are  frequent  meetings  none 
the  less.*  The  motto  of  the  management  is,  "the  door  of  the  manage- 
ment is  always  open,"  and  this  motto  is  acted  upon.  There  are  no 
women  among  the  Shop  Stewards  (though  it  should  he  noticed  that  the 
Shop  Stewards  bring  a  woman  representative  with  them  to  see  the 

*  There  was  a  system  of  fixed  and  regular  meetings  at  one  time ;  but  this 
fell  through,  partly  because  there  was  not  always  business,  but  largely  because 
the  convenor  of  the  shop  stewards  and  the  works  manager  were  both  busy  men, 
and  were  often  unable  to  attend. 

55 


management  when  they  are  discussmg  a  question  that  affects  women)  ; 
but  the  women  employees  have  direct  access  of  their  own  to  the  man- 
agement. They  can  come  one  by  one,  or  in  twos  and  threes  (to  raise 
questions  of  ventilation  and  heating,  for  instance)  ;  and  they  always 
receive  a  hearing. 

3.  The  functions  of  the  Committee  are  large  and  undefined.  They 
bring  forward  anything  which  they  think  a  fit  matter  to  be  brought 
before  the  management.  A  question  may  sometimes  arise  with  the 
management  whether  such-and-such  a  question  really  is  a  fit  question  ; 
there  is  then  a  discussion,  and  it  is  generally  settled  by  the  application 
of  common  sense  whether  the  question  shall  or  shall  not  be  entertained, 
but  there  seems  to  be  no  rule  regulating  the  matter.  The  management 
discusses  with  the  Committee,  or  those  of  it  concerned,  changes  of 
process ;  while  the  men,  according  to  the  view  of  the  management, 
"have  helped  the  management  in  many  cases  on  knotty  problems  of 
output,  and  have  made  suggestions  which  were  acted  upon,"  besides 
bringing  up  complaints  of  the  men  and  cases  of  hardship.  Among 
specific  matters  handled  may  be  mentioned  the  following: — 

(a)  The  base  times  for  prcntiiim  bonus  zvork. — This  system  pre- 
vails throughout  the  works ;  and  if  the  base  time  cannot  be  settled 
between  the  foreman  of  the  department  and  the  workmen,  the  matter 
is  brought  by  the  Convenor  and  Shop  Steward  of  the  department 
before  the  management. 

(h)  Dilutioji. — The  Shop  Stewards  have  protested  against  the 
principle  but  they  have  made  an  amicable  arrangement  with  the  man- 
agement in  every  case,  it  being  understood  that  a  record  of  changes  was 
duly  kept.  The  wages  of  dilutees  have  also  been  discussed  in  confer- 
ences of  the  management  and  Committee. 

Much  is  settled  with  the  foremen  in  the  department  concerned,  and 
never  comes  before  the  management.  Relations  with  the  foremen  have 
not  been  particularly  difiicult.  Some  of  the  foremen  resented  the  action 
of  the  Committee  of  Shop  Stewards  until  it  was  pointed  out  to  them 
that  the  Shop  Stewards  "did  not  wish  to  press  too  far."  There  have 
only  been  one  or  two  isolated  instances  of  conflict;  and  in  one  case 
(which  appeared  to  be  the  main  one)  the  foreman  left  the  works. 
The  Convenor  of  Shop  Stewards  has  the  right  to  go  anywhere  in  the 
establishment  without  notifying  the  foremen. 

4.  The  procedure  of  the  system  has  already  been  incidentally 
described  in  large  measure.  \MTen  any  point  arises  in  a  department, 
it  is  reported  to  the  Convenor  (who  is  elected  by  the  Shop  Stewards 
from  their  number),  and  if  it  cannot  be  settled  in  the  department,  it  is 
brought  before  the  management  in  the  way  described  above.  Com- 
plaints or  requests  from  the  management  go  to  the  Convenor,  and  are 
discussed  by  the  Shop  Stewards  when  he  brings  them  before  a  meeting. 
Meetings  with  the  management  are  in  the  employer's  time,  generally 
in  the  afternoon,  and  may  last  from  half-an-hour  to  2^%  hours.     The 

56 


management  has  always  carried  out  the  decisions  arrived  at  in  a  meet- 
ing with  the  Committee ;  and  the  general  body  of  men  in  the  works  have 
accepted  these  decisions. 

5.  The  relations  of  the  Committee  with  local  trade  unionism  seem 
to  present  no  difficulties.  The  various  societies  represented  in  the 
works — A.S.E.,  Patternmakers,  Coppersmiths  and  the  rest — have 
worked  together;  and  the  Shop  Steward  system  is  part  and  parcel  of 
tlie  official  Trade.  Union  organisation  of  the  district.  The  District 
Committee  of  the  A.S.E.  does  not  issue  cards  to  the  Shop  Stewards, 
as  it  does  in  other  areas.  Extremists  are  sometimes  elected  as  Shop 
Stewards,  but  they  generally  mix  with  the  rest ;  they  are  a  live  element, 
and  responsibility  steadies  them.  A  man  who  proves  a  poor  Shop 
Steward  does  not  carry  w^eight,  and  will  generally  be  dropped  by  his 
constituents.  There  is  thus  no  need  for  the  issue  of  a  card  by  the 
District  Committee  concerned  or  for  the  threat  of  withdrawal  of  such 
a  card.  The  relations  of  the  Shop  Stewards  at  the  establishment  with 
the  Trade  Union  authorities  are  generally  good,  and  every  question 
unsettled  in  the  establishment  goes  to  the  local  District  Committee  or 
Joint  Committee  of  Allied  Engineering  Trades. 

It  may  be  added  that  there  is  a  Mess-room  Committee  at  the  works, 
some  four  or  five  years  old,  appointed  by  the  vote  of  all  who  use  the 
mess-room ;  but  it  has  no  particular  importance. 

(C)  The  Phoenix  Dynamo  Co.,  Ltd.,  Thornbury,  Bradford. 

The  Phoenix  Dynamo  Company  is  a  firm  employing  about  4,000 
employees.  In  addition  to  its  ordinary  product,  the  firm  is  now  pro- 
ducing miscellaneous  munitions  supplies.  The  following  statement, 
which  the  firm  has  sent  to  a  number  of  employers,  has  been  supplied 
to  the  Ministry  for  publication : — 

28th  December,  1917. 

A  Short  Description  of  the  Phoenix  System  for  Fixing  Piece 
Works  Prices  by  Continuous  Arbitration. 

Preamble. 

There  is  surely  no  question  so  vital  to  engineering  and  kindred 
industries  as  that  of  the  fixing  of  piece  work  prices.  It  would  probably 
be  accurate  to  say  that  in  the  period  immediately  preceding  the  war 
most  of  the  prejudices,  both  on  the  employer's  part  and  that  of  the 
men,  to  some  system  of  payment  by  results  were  in  a  fair  way  to  be 
removed.  The  increasing  competition  in  business,  with  the  resultant 
necessity  for  selling  on  fine  margins,  together  with  the  fact  that  expe- 
rience was  proving  that  because  a  man  was  working  piece  work  the 
quality  of  his  work  was  not  necessarily  suffering,  had  already  converted 
most  of  the  employers. 

The  chief  outstanding  difficulties  were  those  of  organisation,  and 
much  of  the  remaining  prejudice  on  the  part  of  labour  towards  schemes 

57 


of  payment  by  result  was  the  result  of  unscientific  and  amateurish  sys- 
tems of  estimation  of  the  time  necessary  to  carry  out  any  particular 
job  by  the  employer.  Consequently  one  got  side  by  side  in  the  same 
shop  astounding  inequalities  of  earnings  which  caused  great  discontent. 
It  was  the  double-time  man  who  caused  the  time-and-a-quarter  man 
to  throw  down  tools,  and  the  employers,  prevented  by  agreements  from 
reducing  prices,  are  obviously  unable  to  increase  all  the  prices  to  double 
time  in  order  to  remove  the  discontent.  The  employer,  therefore,  urged 
often  more  by  despair  than  a  desire  to  break  his  agreements  about 
price  reduction,  adopted  subterfuges  to  reduce  the  times  which  were 
too  high.  This  often  took  the  form  of  splitting  the  job  into  sections 
and  altering  methods  of  production  in  a  minor  way  in  order  to  reduce 
the  time  allowed,  and  thus  the  confidence  of  the  workers  was  lost  by 
this  evasion  of  the  real  spirit  of  the  agreement. 

Even  to-day  the  predicament  still  exists,  and  the  problem  of  the 
price,  which  is  unreasonably  high,  and  the  discontent  caused  amongst 
the  remainder  of  the  men,  is  extraordinarily  difficult  for  the  employer 
who  wishes  to  observe  not  only  the  letter,  but  the  spirit  of  his  under- 
takings not  to  reduce  prices. 

On  the  other  hand,  labour,  with  its  greater  facilities  for  discus- 
sion between  individuals  and  the  absence  of  any  motive  to  prevent 
complete  interchange  of  information,  such  as  unfortunately  exists 
amongst  employers,  has  been  enabled  to  bring  great  pressure  to  bear 
upon  the  employer  for  the  rectification  of  a  price  which  can  be  proved 
to  be  unremunerative.  The  same  cohesion  amongst  labour,  coupled 
with  the  fear  amongst  employers  that  workmen  are  only  accepting  pay- 
ment by  results  under  sufiferance.  and  might  some  day  refuse  to  con- 
tinue such  a  system,  has  made  the  employer  ver}^  fearful  of  pushing 
forward  with  any  system  to  deal  with  the  straight  problem  of  the 
reduction  of  an  excessive  time. 

Since  the  war,  and  without,  possibly,  a  full  appreciation  of  the 
precedents  which  are  being  created,  employers,  weary  of  the  respon- 
sibility for  so  much  price  fixing  and  the  dangers  of  labour  unrest  in 
their  works,  have  compromised  the  most  difficult  jobs  either  by  a  group 
bonus  on  the  whole  of  the  wages  paid,  or  by  saying  to  individuals  or 
group  of  individuals,  "We  will  pay  you  time  and  so-and-so  whilst  you 
are  on  with  this  work."  Some  aeroplane  factories  working  on  a  group 
bonus  on  total  output  are  paying  their  men  as  much  as  time  and  three- 
quarters,  whilst  their  output  per  man  is  well  below  that  of  other  areo- 
plane  factories  on  ordinar}'  day  rates. 

It  is  fatally  easy  to  act  in  this  amateurish  way  whilst  prices  are 
high  and  excess  profits  can  be  used,  but  any  experienced  organiser  or 
worker,  either  employer  or  employed,  knows  that  this  condition  cannot 
last  after  the  war.  It  is  this  prodigal  use  of  "time  and  a  something." 
without  any  definite  guarantee  that  that  amount  of  work  had  been 
carried  out,  w^hich  has  destroyed  the  whole  of  the  principle  of  the 

58 


minimum  wage.  Competition  on  day  rates  being  eliminated,  a  com- 
petition between  employers  as  to  who  can  give  the  most  foolish  piece- 
work price  or  the  highest  bonus  per  hour  on  some  theoretically  imper- 
fect group  bonus  scheme  has  taken  its  place.  The  best  type  of  labour 
realises  that  the  badly  organised  piece  work  or  bonus  system  is,  in  the 
end,  as  inimical  to  his  interests  as  it  is  to  those  of  the  employer.  So 
much  for  the  money  side  of  the  question. 

There  is,  however,  another  point  which  should  be  given  its  true 
value.  One  of  the  greatest  objections  to  present  piece-work  systems  is 
that  the  employer  works  out  the  price  in  secret,  writes  down  the  time 
on  a  card,  and  this  settles  the  price.  Now,  the  men  feel  that  payment 
by  results  is  a  bargain  and  that  it  is  not  within  the  province  of  the 
employer  or  the  employed  to  state  arbitrarily  what  the  price  is  to  be. 
The  fact  that  most  employers  are  quite  prepared  to  explain  politely  and 
sensibly  to  any  workman  how  the  price  is  made  up  does  not  meet  the 
theoretical  objection  to  the  system,  and  the  end  of  what  should  be  a 
perfectly  logical  and  simple  business  transaction  is  often  an  altercation 
with  a  "take  it  or  leave  it"  as  the  employer's  last  word. 

Another  position  which  is  often  created  as  a  result  of  a  failure 
to  agree  about  price  is  a  steady  opposition  more  or  less  furtive  to  the 
whole  system.  Assuming,  however,  that  the  system  of  piece-work  fix- 
ing is  so  accurate  that  every  workman  secures  a  fair  return  for  his 
labour,  the  theoretical  objection  of  organised  Trades  Unionism  to  any 
arbitrary  settlement  of  the  price  by  the  employer  still  remains. 

A  Tabulation  of  the  Main  Difficulties. 

(1)  Unscientific  price  fixing. 

(2)  The  absence  of  proper  machinery  for  appeal  which  is  quick 
in  action  and  not  cumbersome  in  operation  for  the  rectification  of — 

(a)  a  price  which  is  too  low; 

(b)  a  price  which  is  too  high. 

Of  these  {b)  is  essential  if  the  employer  is  to  be  able  to  pre- 
serve towards  the  men  absolute  straightforward  dealing.  The  employer 
must  have  means  which  will  enable  him,  without  even  a  suspicion  of 
stealth,  to  reduce  a  price  w-ithout  necessarily  changing  the  method  of 
manufacture. 

The  following  is  a  system  which  has  been  working  for  some  time, 
the  terms  of  which  were  drawn  up  by  the  aid  and  co-operation  of  the 
principal  Union  of  metal  workers  and  the  firm  concerned.  It  is  capable 
of  considerable  extension  and  improvement,  and  is  a  sincere  attempt  to 
solve  an  exceedingly  complicated  but  absolutely  vital  problem. 

Financial  Basis  of  Prices. 

The  men  had  pressed  for  a  guaranteed  time  and  a  half.  To  this 
we  could  not  agree.  Eventually  it  was  agreed  that  times  should  be 
fixed  so  that  an  average  man  could  earn  time  and  a  quarter,  and  a 

59 


really  good  man  should  have  no  difficulty  in  making  time  and  a  half. 
The  following  is  the  agreement  reached  between  the  principal  Union 
of  metal  workers  and  ourselves  concerning  the  scheme : — • 

On  getting  out  a  new  job  we  would  calculate  the  feeds  and  speeds 
which  were  suitable  for  the  tool  on  which  the  job  was  to  be  performed, 
and  then  put  forward  the  time  to  the  man  who  had  to  do  the  job, 
saying:  "This  is  the  time  we  offer;  you  are  not  bound  to  accept  it 
and  can  appeal  if  you  like.  In  this  event  you  go  to  the  Time  Study 
Office,  where  the  man  who  has  dealt  with  the  job  will  go  through  the 
detail  of  his  calculations,  and  if  he  has  made  a  slip  will  at  once  put 
it  right." 

Our  tinie  fixing  is  not  infallible,  and  the  men  can  help  us  by 
pointing  out  errors.  If,  however,  we  are  unconvinced  that  the  price  is 
unreasonable,  and  the  man  is  equally  unconvinced  that  it  is  reasonable, 
he  can  then  say,  "I  want  this  job  to  go  to  Committee."  The  time 
offered  by  us  would  then  be  put  on  the  card  as  a  temporary  time,  and 
the  decision  of  the  Committee  would  be  added  on  or  taken  off  the  time 
agreed  by  the  Committee  when  their  decision  has  been  given.  In  any 
case,  however,  the  man  has  no  object  in  hanging  back,  because  no  evi- 
dence as  to  the  time  taken  on  the  job  between  the  price  being  fixed  and 
the  Committee  being  held  is  available  for  the  Committee. 

The  Committee  consists  of  3  of  the  firm's  representatives  and  3 
workmen's  representatives  consisting  of  the  man  concerned  and  2  work- 
men selected  by  him  who  are  operating  the  same  type  of  machine  or 
whose  work  is  closely  allied  to  the  work  in  question.  In  a  dispute  of  a 
Milling  Machine  price,  the  man  and  2  other  millers  would  attend. 

The  Committee  is  to  be  held  within  2  days  of  the  complaint.  In 
the  event  of  the  Committee  failing  to  agree  it  is  then  up  to  the  firm 
to  demonstrate  in  their  own  works  that  the  time  is  fair  and  that  time 
and  a  quarter  can  be  made  on  it.  The  question  of  outside  demonstrators 
being  employed  was  raised,  and  it  was  agreed  that  only  in  the  case  of 
new  tools  bought  from  the  makers  on  guaranteed  times  should  outside 
experts  be  brought  in.  The  firm  have  the  option  to  decide  whether,  in 
the  event  of  the  Committee  failing  to  agree,  the  demonstration  of  the 
time  shall  be  done  in  the  shop  itself  or  alternatively  in  a  demonstration 
department.  It  is  further  agreed  that,  in  addition  to  the  Committee 
being  a  means  by  which  workmen  can  secure  awards  as  to  prices  which 
are  too  low,  the  firm  have  the  same  privilege  with  regard  to  prices 
which  are  too  high.  In  the  event,  however,  of  the  firm  petitioning  for 
the  reduction  of  a  price  and  bringing  the  matter  to  a  Committee,  it  is 
understood  that  any  reduction  which  is  made  in  the  time  shall  be  put 
on  to  another  job  on  which  the  workers  cannot  do  as  well.  This  is 
accepted  without  demur,  as  it  shows  a  desire,  at  any  rate,  to  try  to 
equalise  the  position  as  between  man  and  man  and  also  from  the  firm's 
point  of  view. 

60 


The  above  are  the  terms  of  the  understanding  arrived  at  and  the 
following  observations  may  be  interesting. 

The  whole  point  about  this  system  is  that  the  rate  fixers  shall  get 
into  their  heads  the  fact  that  they  are  not  telling  the  men  how  much 
they,  as  representatives  of  the  Almighty,  agree  to  allow  for  each  job, 
but  are  in  the  position  of  buyers  who,  having  worked  out  what  they 
think  is  a  fair  price  for  a  commodity,  make  the  man  an  offer  for  it  on 
those  terms. 

A  great  deal  can  be  done  in  making  a  Time  Study  Department  a 
really  nice  office  and  insisting  that  the  man  is  treated  really  courteously. 
One  of  the  great  difficulties  is  to  get  personalities  definitely  removed 
from  the  transaction.  A  discussion  that  starts  about  the  price  of  a  job 
often  finishes  by  two  men  staking  their  reputation  as  craftsmen  and 
their  experience  as  workmen  that  they  are  absolutely  right. 

The  rate  fixer  must  be  made  to  feel  that  is  it  not  a  disgraceful 
thing  to  alter  his  price.  The  friendly  spirit  is  extremely  important,  and 
unduly  conceited  rate  fixers  with  the  manner  of  a  general  manager  have 
not  proved  invariably  successful.  The  surprising  part  of  the  scheme 
over  the  period  in  which  it  now  has  been  operating  is  the  very  small 
number  of  Committees  which  are  held.  It  would  appear  that  a  very 
stupid  workman  w^io  goes  to  the  Time  Study  Oflice  to  argue  with  the 
rate-fixer,  or  a  very  thick-headed  rate-fixer,  are  either  of  them  rather 
afraid  of  what  a  Committee  would  decide  about  their  particular  case, 
and  so  whichever  party  feels  himself  to  be  technically  weakest  in  the 
argument  appears  to  give  way.  At  any  rate,  the  number  of  Committees 
is  incredibly  small.  It  may  be  argued  that  this  is  because  the  prices  are 
fixed  on-  so  generous  a  basis. 

The  average  in  the  whole  of  the  shops  concerned  ranges  from  27i/2 
per  cent,  in  the  worst  case  to  52^4  per  cent,  in  the  highest  average  case. 

The  provision  by  which  an  employer  is  allowed  to  reduce  a  price 
(provided  that  he  adds  the  time  so  reduced  on  to  some  job  which  is  a 
lean  one)  has  the  advantage  that  after  a  time  you  get  a  certain  number 
of  hours  on  the  men's  side  of  the  ledger,  and  this  is  a  sort  of  accumula- 
tion of  time  in  the  bank.  By  this  means  cases  of  special  hardship  can 
be  dealt  with  by  adding  some  of  the  time  on  to  the  lean, jobs. 

The  composition  of  the  Committee  from  the  employers'  point  of 
view  should  vary  from  time  to  time,  and  the  superintendents  of  the 
shop  will  be  well  advised  to  keep  their  eye  on  the  cases  coming  up  for 
Committee.  It  sometimes  happens  that  a  very  good  workman  indeed 
has  become  pig-headed  about  his  particular  job,  and  whilst  the  rate 
fixer  may  be  exactly  right,  it  may  he  advisable  to  humour  the  man  in 
question.'  The  very  fact  of  the  man's  all-around  excellence  and  his 
status  of  a  workman  makes  it  advisable  to  keep  him  friendly  to  the 
scheme.  In  cases  of  this  sort,  where  a  certain  amount  of  feeling  is 
present,  it  is  advisable  for  some  fairly  high  official  to  sit  as  one  of  the 
employer's  representatives  and  tactfully  (whilst  saving  the  rate-fixer's 

61 


face  as  much  as  possible)  leave  the  Committee  to  humour  the  man 
somewhat.  These  cases  have  proved  to  be  very  rare,  but  the  employer 
has  so  much  to  gain  from  the  system  generally  that  he  must  be  prepared 
to  stretch  a  point,  without  saying  he  is  doing  so,  to  meet  very  difficult 
cases  which  come  up  to  Committees.    One  case  in  point : — 

An  extraordinarily  skilled  aeroplane  metal  worker  brought  a  case 
up  to  Committee,  where  the  rate-fixer  was  an  equally  skilled  metal 
worker  and  a  member  of  the  same  Union.  The  matter  had  obviously 
become  more  a  question  of  which  of  the  two  men  was  a  fool  than  the 
question  of  the  price,  and  it  is  in  cases  of  this  sort  that  a  tactful  official 
can  be  so  valuable  on  the  Committee. 

If  any  employer  will  put  himself  in  the  position  of  a  workman 
who,  on  being  offered  a  price,  thinks  it  unfair,  and  who  has  either  to 
take  it  or  else  put  himself  in  opposition  to  his  foreman  and  others,  he 
will  appreciate  the  value  of  some  such  scheme  as  the  above  to  the 
workmen.  Under  the  present  scheme  a  man  so  placed  is  either  satis- 
fied by  the  Time  Study  Office  or  not,  and  if  he  is  still  dissatisfied  he 
can  ask  for  a  Committee  and  go  back  working  on  the  job  without 
quarrelling  either  with  his  foreman  or  anybody  else. 

(D)  Messrs.  Barr  and  Stroud,  Limited.  Anniesland,  Glasgow 

Industry :  Engineering.  Number  of  Employees.  2,350,  of  whom 
275  are  women. 

This  firm  has,  and  has  long  had,  an  admirable  system  for  the 
education  of  its  apprentices,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  several  of  them, 
during  their  apprenticeship,  have  taken  the  Bachelor  of  Science  Degree 
in  the  University  of  Glasgow. 

The  firm  has  also,  like  the  shipbuilding  firm  of  whose  organisation 
an  account  is  given  under  (O)  below,  a  system  of  awards  for  sugges- 
tions made  by  their  workmen,  which  has  been  at  work  for  many  years. 

There  are  two  workers'  Committees  in  the  establishment: — 

(1)  The  first,  which  is  called  the  Shop  Committee,  might  also  be 
designated  a  Welfare  Committee,  and  has  been  in  existence  since  about 
1900. 

Its  constitution  and  rules  are  set  forth  in  the  published  Book  of 
Rules  of  the  firm.  Briefly,  it  may  be  said  to  deal  with  shop  amenities. 
It  controls  the  Sick  Benefit  Society,  the  fund  for  distress,  and  all  other 
funds  of  a  like  nature.  It  controls  the  management  of  the  canteen  and 
the  rifle  club  and  handles  aU  social  arrangements  for  entertainments, 
picnics,  and  the  like.  The  Chairman  is  one  of  the  Directors.  He  can 
veto  the  discussion  of  any  matter ;  but  he  has  never  once  had  to  exer- 
cise this  veto.  No  Trade  Union  questions — no  questions  of  wages  or 
application  of  Trade  Union  Rules — come  before  this  Committee.  The 
Committee  meets  regularly  once  a  month,  and  oftener  if  necessary. 
There  are  various  sub-committees  appointed  by  the  Shop  Committee  to 
deal  with  the  various  activities. 

62 


(2)  In  March,  1916,  when  dilution  was  started,  a  second  Com- 
mittee was  formed,  called  the  Industrial  Committee.  As  it  is  pro- 
fessedly in  existence  for  the  war  period  only,  nothing  is  said  about  this 
Committee  in  the  Book  of  Rules  of  the  firm,  but  the  following  descrip- 
tion may  illustrate  its  chief  features. 

The  formation  of  the  Industrial  Committee  was  helped  by  the  good 
relations  and  the  community  of  feeling  engendered  by  the  working 
of  the  existing  Shop  Committee.  The  Industrial  Committee  is  based 
essentially  on  Trade  Unionism  and  the  Shop  Steward  System.  The 
twelve  representatives  of  the  men  are  elected  entirely  by  the  Shop 
Stewards,  some  forty  in  number,  of  the  different  Unions.  There  is 
thus  no  system  of  election  by  all  the  workers  and  the  Committee  is  not 
representative  of  all  the  workers,  but  on  the  other  hand  there  is  a 
definite  nexus  established  with  Trade  Union  sentiment  and  organisa- 
tion. Two  Directors  of  the  firm  and  the  head  foreman  sit  with  the 
twelve  representatives  of  the  men.  When  there  is  business  to  transact, 
meetings  of  the  Industrial  Committee  are  held  on  Tuesdays  at  11  a.  m. 
and  the  men's  representatives  are  paid  as  usual  during  the  time 
occupied  at  the  meetings.  The  members  of  the  Committee  hold  office 
for  one  year.  There  are  two  Chairmen,  one  from  the  men's  represen- 
tatives and  one  from  the  firm's,  and  they  preside  at  alternate  meetings. 
The  only  other  officer  is  a  Secretary  elected  by  the  Committee. 

The  following  list  contains  some  of  the  questions  treated  by  the 
Industrial  Committee  during  the  past  eighteen  months: — 

(1)  The  question  of  the  Convenor  of  Shop  Stewards  going 
into  other  departments  for  discussion  of  grievances.  This  was 
discussed  and  the  result  was  the  formulation  of  regulations  (see 
Note  (i)  ;  similar  rules  are  also  contained  in  Note  (ii)  in  respect 
of  the  "Shop"  Committee). 

(2)  Wages  of  women  and  girl  employees. 

(3)  The  record  of  changes  in  practice. 

(4)  Questions  arising  from  the  premium  bonus  system. 

(5)  Appeals  against  dismissal.* 

(6)  The  question  of  men  forgetting  to  clock  on  and  of 
whether  they  should  receive  wages  for  the  period  for  which  they 
had  forgotten  to  clock  on. 

(7)  The  question  of  working  overtime  on  Saturdays.  The 
Committee  agreed  to  refer  this  to  a  general  plebiscite. 

(8)  The  question  of  wages  of  apprentices. 

(9)  The  question  of  rules  for  night-shift  work;  e.g.,  whether 
men  could  leave  a  little  before  the  closing  time  to  catch  a  train. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  functions  of  the  Industrial  Committee  are 
important ;    it    is    one    of    the    most    advanced    works    Committees    in 

*Only  one  case  has  arisen.  Here  the  firm  refused  to  go  back  on  its  decision, 
but  was  ready  to  explain  its  action.  This  was  done.  The  men's  representatives 
then  asked  if  the  man  in  question  might  receive  a  clear  character;  this  was 
given. 

63 


existence.  Questions  of  wages  come  within  its  scope  (under  2,  4,  6 
and  8  above)  ;  and  a  question  recently  under  discussion  was  a  proposal 
that  there  should  be  a  guaranteed  premium  bonus. 

A  question  which  has  recently  arisen  is  that  of  the  relation  of  the 
Industrial  Committee  to  the  local  Trade  Union  organisation. 

This  Industrial  Committee  is  deserving  of  attention;  first  in  its 
constitution — based  as  it  is  on  the  Shop  Steward  system — and  secondly, 
in  its  influence  on  the  works,  which  has  been  large  and  far-reaching. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  the  system  of  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Stroud,  Limited,  is  very  like  that  of  Messrs.  Hans  Renold,  Ltd.  Both 
have  two  Committees ;  both  assign  to  one  Committee  the  consideration 
of  shop  amenities,  and  to  the  other  questions  of  work  and  wages ;  both 
base  the  second  Committee  on  the  Shop  Steward  system. 

An  immediate  and  important  result  of  having  such  an  Industrial 
Committee  is  that  grievances  that  might  otherwise  generate  bad  feeling 
are  brought  at  once  to  the  attention  of  the  Directors.  The  trivial  sur- 
roundings of  grievances  are  brushed  ofif,  and  the  real  principles  under- 
lying the  questions  under  discussion  are  arrived  at. 

So  far,  the  Industrial  Committee  and  the  Shop  Stewards  have 
quite  naturally  declined  to  deal  themselves  with  matters  of  discipline ; 
but  in  cases  where  they  have  declined,  they  have  actively  upheld,  or  at 
all  events  not  hindered  the  regulations  imposed  by  the  firm. 

Note  (i) — Regulations  for  Leave  Granted  to  Shop  Stewards  to 
Deal  with  Complaints 

(1)  If  any  employee  has  a  relevant  complaint  to  make  about  his 
work,  sufficiently  important  to  bring  before  a  Shop  Steward,  he  must 
communicate  only  with  the  Shop  Steward  of  his  own  Department. 

(2)  If  the  Department  Shop  Steward  thinks  the  complaint  requires 
attention,  he  will  send  for,  or  fetch,  the  Convenor  of  Shop  Stewards, 
who,  when  possible,  will  tell  the  foreman  of  the  Department  to  which 
he  is  called  that  he  has  been  summoned  on  Shop  Steward  business. 

(3)  If  the  Convenor  of  Shop  Stewards,  after  consultation  with 
the  Department  Shop  Steward  and  the  complainer,  thinks  the  com- 
plaint requires  further  attention,  he  will  call  a  meeting  of  Shop  Stew- 
ards to  consider  the  matter. 

(4)  If  the  meeting  of  Shop  Stewards  thinks  the  complaint  requires 
still  further  consideration,  the  Convenor  will  bring  it  before  a  meeting 
of  the  Industrial  Committee  or  convene  an  emergency  meeting  of  the 
Industrial  Committee  in  order  to  lay  the  complaint  before  the  Firm. 

(5)  The  foremen  are  instructed  by  the  Firm  that  they  are  to  grant 
the  facilities  referred  to  above;  but  if  they  think  that  these  facilities 
are  being  taken  advantage  of,  they  are  instructed  to  inform  the  Firm 
so  that  the  representatives  of  the  Firm  may  draw  the  attention  of  the 
Industrial  Committee  to  it. 

Barr  and  Stroud.  Limited. 

(Signed)     Harold  D.  Jackson,  Director. 

64 


I 


Note  (ii)— NOTICE 

To  Members  of  the  Staff  and  to  Foremen  and  Members  of  the 
Shop  Committee. 

In  connection  with  their  duties  as  Members  of  the  Shop  Com- 
mittee, it  is  sometimes  necessary  for  the  Members  of  the  Shop  Com- 
mittee to  go  into  different  departments  of  the  shop  to  enquire  into 
matters  connected  with  the  well-being  of  the  employees. 

In  such  circumstances  the  Members  of  the  Shop  Committee  should 
always  inform  the  Chief  of  the  Department  or  the  Foreman  into  whose 
Department  they  go,  that  they  are  on  Shop  Committee  duty,  and  in 
such  circumstances  the  Foreman  will  not  unreasonably  withhold 
permission. 

The  Firm  rely  that  Members  of  the  Shop  Committee  will  be  care- 
ful never  to  abuse  this  privilege. 

Each  Member  of  the  Shop  Committee  is  provided  with  a  ticket  of 
identification. 

Barr  and  Stroud,  Limited, 

(Signed)     Harold  D.  Jackson,  Director. 

(E.)  A  Large  Engineering  Establishment — Dilution  Committee 
Seven  Departments,  employing  over  10,000  workpeople. 

1.  The  Committee  at  this  establishment  should  properly  be 
described  as  a  Dilution  Committee.  It  came  into  existence  in  Febru- 
ary, 1916;  and  though  matters  other  than  dilution  are  occasionally 
brought  before  it,  its  primary  function  is  the  regulation  of  dilution. 

2.  The  election  of  the  Dilution  Committee  consists  of  two  stages : — 

( 1 )  In  the  first  place.  Dilution  Delegates  were  elected  on  the 
basis  of  two  delegates  for  each  shop  by  all  workers,  unionist  or 
non-unionist  (including  women*),  in  every  department  or  shop. 

(2)  In  the  second  place,  the  delegates  select  five  representa- 
tives to  represent  them  on  a  Joint  Dilution  Committee,  on  which 
also  sit  an  equal  number  of  the  management.  At  first  there  was 
and  agreed  external  Chairman  but,  subsequently,  the  senior  man- 
ager present  acted  in  this  capacity.  There  was  found  to  be  the 
objection  that  if  an  external  Chairman  is  appointed  whose  deci- 
sions are  accepted,  arbitration  within  the  works  is  set  up  for  deal- 
ing with  matters  which  should  be  entirely  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  management.  A  member  of  the  management  presides  and 
another  member  of  the  management  is  Official  Secretary,  and  is 
responsible    for   the   official    minutes    and   the   notification   of   all 


*The  women  in  one  department  did  not  vote,  but  that  is  due  to  difficulties 
of  time  and  place.  If  their  hours  had  been  diflferent  and  the  department  had 
not  been  at  a  distance  from  the  rest  they  would  have  voted. 

65 


dilution  questions.  He  is  also  responsible  for  all  communications 
with  the  men's  Secretary.  On  the  men's  side  there  is  a  Chairman 
and  an  additional  representative  who  acts  as  the  men's  Secretary, 
but  has  no  vote. 

3.  There  are  no  regular  meetings  of  the  Joint  Dilution  Committee  ; 
it  meets  wh^n  either  side  asks  for  a  meeting.  (Some  questions  raised 
by  the  men's  secretary  may  be  settled  at  once  by  executive  action  and 
without  a  meeting,  if  the  case  is  a  clear  one,  and  the  action  will  be 
simply  reported  at  the  next  meeting.)  The  minutes  are  kept  by  the 
Official  Secretary  appointed  by  the  management.  The  men's  Secre- 
tary takes  informal  notes.  The  minutes  are  generally  circulated  a  week 
before  a  meeting  to  enable  the  men  to  consider  them  prior  to  the  meet- 
ing and  raise  at  the  meeting  any  points  arising  therefrom  or  to  which 
they  do  not  agree.  Sometimes  there  are  meetings  once  a  week,  some- 
times once  a  month  or  even  at  longer  intervals. 

4.  The  functions  of  the  Dilution  Delegates  are  to  supervise  the 
introduction  of  dilution  and  the  wages  paid  to  dilutees.  The  delegates 
may  complain,  for  instance,  about  a  foreman  introducing  dilution  with- 
out proper  notice,  or  as  to  the  rates  paid  to  a  dilutee  or  to  the  manning 
of  a  lathe  by  a  dilutee.  If  any  question  arises  about  the  rates  paid  to 
a  dilutee,  they  refer  to  the  Dilution  Certificate  sent  to  them,  on  which 
this  rate  is  stated.  In  no  instance  are  they  allowed  to  ascertain  the 
rates  paid  to  men  or  women  other  than  dilutees.  On  the  whole  no 
insuperable  difficulty  has  arisen  between  the  Dilution  Delegates  and 
the  foremen.  This  is  chiefly  due  to  the  tact  displayed  by  the  manage- 
ment and  the  men's  Chairman,  but  many  times  there  have  been  grave 
difficulties  owing  to  the  action  of  certain  of  the  younger  delegates  and 
foremen. 

The  Joint  Dilution  Committee  deals  with  all  important  matters 
arising  out  of  dilution  which  come  up  to  it  (as  a  rule  through  the  men's 
Secretary)    from  the  delegates. 

5.  To  what  has  been  said  above,  it  should  be  added  that  the  whole 
procedure  of  the  Committee  is  necessarily  elastic,  and  dependent  on 
personal  tact  and  contact  rather  than  on  a  formal  constitution.  There 
is,  for  instance,  no  fixed  tenure  of  office  for  the  men's  representatives ; 
if  their  action  or  constitution  were  challenged,  as  it  was  in  a  case  when 
the  members  of  the  United  Machine  Workers'  Association  claimed 
representation,  they  could,  and  did  resign,  and  a  new  election  was 
held.  The  same  Committee  as  before  was  elected.  The  men's  repre- 
sentatives on  the  Joint  Committee,  if  they  consider  any  proposal 
involves  an  important  question  of  principle,  ask  to  have  a  matter 
referred  back  to  the  Dilution  Delegates  for  instructions,  or,  if  the 
question  is  comparatively  unimportant,  may  agree  to  settle  it  ofif-hand. 

The  Dilution  Committee  here  described  is  obviously  of  a  special 
character,  and  under  the  peculiar  conditions  the  Joint  Dilution  Com- 
mittee  has  been   fairly   successful.     It  works   easily  and   informally. 

66 


Confined  in  form  to  questions  of  dilution,  it  finds  it  easy  to  discuss 
other  questions  and  to  deal  with  works  conditions  in  general  on 
occasion ;  for  instance,  in  a  case  where  the  firm  had  submitted  a  pri>- 
posal  for  a  bonus  on  output  to  a  large  number  of  setters-up,  the  men 
asked  their  Dilution  Committee  representatives  to  take  the  question 
up  and  discuss  the  matter  with  the  management. 

The  men's  representatives  on  the  Dilution  Committee  have  pre- 
vented many  threatened  strikes  developing  in  various  parts  of  the 
works,  either  by  their  direct  intervention  or  by  calling  the  attention  of 
the  management  to  trouble  that  was  brewing. 

In  the  firm's  opinion,  the  value  of  the  work  to  be  done  by  such  a 
Committee  depends  on  the  men's  representatives  being  educated  and 
fair-minded  men. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  this  Committee  is  essentially  a  Dilu- 
tion Committee  and  not  a  Works  Committee.  The  representatives  may, 
de  facto,  be  shop  Stewards,  but  they  are  chosen  by  all  the  employees, 
including  skilled,  semi-skilled  and  unskilled  workpeople. 

The  Dilution  Committee  does  not  represent  the  steel  smelters, 
steel,  iron  and  brass  founders,  smiths  and  strikers,  and  one  or  two 
other  trades.  If  it  were  to  become  a  Shop  Committee  it  would  prob- 
ably have  to  be  increased  and  represent  all  trades  and  the  foremen. 
In  the  firm's  opinion  the  constitution  of  such  a  Committee,  so  as  to 
secure  the  best  results,  would  require  very  careful  consideration. 

(F)  An  Establishment  Making  Motor-cars  and  Aeroplanes 
The   firm   makes  motor-cars,   aeroplanes   and   aeroplane   engines. 
The  present  number  of  employees  is  about  3,500,  of  whom  some  600 
are  women  and  some   150  general  labourers.     The  others  are  skilled 
or  semi-skilled. 

The  Comjnittee  dates  back  to  1908.  It  arose  from  a  dispute  which 
resulted  in  a  strike.  The  directors  had  had  no  idea  of  the  trouble,  and 
in  order  that  in  the  future  such  a  position  should  be  made  impossible 
the  Works  Committee  was  formed.  District  Trade  Union  officials  took 
an  active  part  in  the  formation  of  the  Committee. 

The  Committee  consists  of  22  members,  one  from  each  depart- 
ment.* Each  member  must  be  a  Trade  Unionist,  but  voting  is  open 
to  all  men,  whether  or  not  Trade  Unionists.  The  women  do  not  have 
votes.  There  are  members  of  26  Trade  Unions  in  the  works.  Only 
10  of  these  have  members  on  the  Committee.  The  10  are  the  A.S.E., 
the  Toolmakers,  the  United  Kingdom  Society  of  Smiths,  the  United 
Kingdom  Society  of  Coachmakers.  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Car- 
penters and  Joiners,  the  United  Machine  \^'orkers,  the  Wood  Cutting 


*  See  Note  on  p.  68. 

t  At  one  time  there  was  a  member  of  the  Workers'  Union  on  the  Com- 
mittee, but  when  he  left  the  works  the  next  appointed  belonged  to  a  skilled 
union.  The  departments  represented  and  the  unions  to  which  the  members 
belong  are  given  at  the  end  of  this  report. 

67 


Machinists,  the  Patternmakers,  the  Steam  Engine  Makers,  and  the 
Sheet  Metal  Workers. f  The  members  are  elected  annually,  each 
department  electing  its  representatives.  The  Committe  choose  their 
own  Chairman  and  Secretary.  The  same  people  tend  to  be  re-elected 
from  term  to  term ;  the  present  Chairman  has  been  in  that  position 
from  the  first,  and  the  Secretary  in  his  for  4>^  years. 


Note.— DIVISION  INTO  DEPARTMENTS 


Name   of    Department. 


Seaplane  Department 


Seaplane  Erecting 

Paint  Shop 

New  Machine  Shop  

Old  Machine  Shop  

Body  Shop  

Stripping  and  Examining.  . . 

Repair  Shop  

Smiths  Shop   

Detail   Shop    

Finishing  Shop 

Trimming  Shop  

Aviation     Engine     Depart- 
ment. 
Fitting  Shop 

Erecting  Shop   

Experimental  Department.. 
View   Room    

Moulders        and        Pattern 
Makers. 


No.     of     Em- 
ployees in 
Department 
(in  round 
figures). 


310 

160 

770 

340 
60 

70 
240 

30 
180 

110 
60 

200 

180 

110 
30 

120 
50 


No.  of  Repre- 
sentatives 

Trade  Union  of 

on 

which  representa- 

Committee.* 

tives   are   members. 

2 

Amalgamated        Car- 

penters    and     Join- 

ers ;     U.K.     Society 

of  Smiths. 

1 

Tool  Makers. 

1 

U.K.        Society        of 

Coachmakers. 

2 

A.S.E.;    United    Ma- 

chine Workers. 

2 

A.S.E. 

1 

Wood     Cutting     Ma- 

chinists. 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

A.S.E. 

2 

A.S.E.;    Sheet    Metal 

Workers. 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

U.K.  Society  of  Smith 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

Steam        Engine 

Makers. 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

A.S.E. 

1 

Pattern  Makers. 

The  only  formal  rules  are  contained  in  a  poster,  a  copy  of  which 
is  posted  up  in  each  department.  This  gives  a  short  statement  of  why 
the  Committee  was  formed  and  outlines  the  procedure  to  be  adopted 
with  complaints.  This  precedure  consists  of  three  courts  of  appeal — 
the    A\'orks    Manager,    the    Managing    Director,    and    the    Board    of 

I 

*  The  rule  is  one  representative  for  each  •department  whatever  its  size. 
The  exceptions  are  due  to  such  causes  as : — (a)  In  the  New  Machine  Shop — 
one  is  allowed  for  each  turn,  day  and  night;  (b)  In  the  Detail  Shop — a  body 
of  workpeople  who  have  recently  been  removed  from  another  department  into> 
this  shop  have  been  allowed  to  retain  their  representation. 

68 


Directors.  Thus,  a  man  not  satisfied  with  the  response  of  a  foreman  goes 
to  his  departmental  representative  on  the  Committee  (or  direct  to  the 
Secretary  or  Chairman,  who  have  freedom  of  movement  from  depart- 
ment to  department).  The  Chairman  and  Secretary  of  the  Com- 
mittee and  the  representative  of  the  complainant's  department  then 
approach  the  W^orks  Manager,  and  thereafter,  if  necessary,  first  the 
Managing  Director,  and  then  the  Board  of  Directors.  In  fact,  noth- 
ing needs  to  go  beyond  the  Works  Manager ;  nothing  has  gone  so  far 
as  the  Managing  Director  since  there  was  some  trouble  connected  with 
the  introduction  of  the  Insurance  Act ;  and  during  the  present  Direc- 
tor's tenure  of  the  position  no  case  at  all  has  reached  the  Board  of 
Directors. 

The  Committee  acts  for  almost  all  purposes  by  the  methods 
described  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  The  Works  Manager  has  met 
the  whole  22  as  a  body  on  one  occasion  only.  The  occasion  was  a  visit 
from  an  officer  of  the  Ministry  of  Munitions  on  the  question  of  time- 
keeping. The  Works  Manager  meets  the  small  number  who  act  for 
the  Committee  (perhaps  with  the  employee  or  employees  concerned) 
whenever  there  is  occasion.  The  number  of  interviews  rises  and  falls. 
Sometimes  he  will  have  an  interview  every  day  for  a  week,  and  then 
a  fortnight  without  one  will  pass.  These  interviews  are  in  employers' 
time.  The  22  members  meet  by  themselves  about  once  a  month  for 
general  business ;  these  meetings  are  partly  in  their  own  time  and 
partly  in  the  employers'  time. 

The  Committee  has  been  largely  responsible  for  making  the  appeal 
for  better  timekeeping  effective,  and  this  is  the  more  remarkable 
because  even  before  the  appeal  was  made  the  timekeeping  record  was 
considered  very  good.  As  an  illustration  the  following  figures  were 
given:  for  the  week  ending  10/3/17  the  total  number  of  hours  lost 
by  3,300  employees  w^as  8.050;  the  corresponding  numbers  for  3.500 
employees  in  the  week  ending  22/9/17  was  5,700;  that  is  a  reduction 
from  2.4  to  1.6  per  head.  The  other  questions  discussed  with  the 
officials  of  the  Committee  and  the  representatives  on  it  of  particular 
departments  have  included  dilution,  which  was  carried  through  with- 
out trouble,  and  grievances  in  regard  to  premium  bonus  times,  includ- 
ing the  fixing  of  new  times  when  methods  of  production  are  altered. 
Usually  the  arrangement  of  times  is  discussed  when  the  question 
afifects  a  number  of  men.  A  toolroom  bonus,  payment  of  time  and 
an  eighth,  was  arranged  between  the  Committees'  representatives  and 
the  Works  Manager.  This  bonus,  which  was  conditional  on  good 
timekeeping  and  increased  activity,  has  since  been  given  up  in  favour 
of  individual  premium  bonus. 

The  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  who  is  an  official  in  his  own 
Union,  emphasised  three  points : — 

(1)   the  division  of  functions  between  Union  and  Works  Com- 
mittee, wage  questions  in  particular  being  Union  matters. 

69 


(2)  the   established  procedure  as  posted  up  in  the  depart- 
ments. 

(3)  the  officials'  right  of  movement  from  shop  to  shop. 

He  had  no  doubts  about  the  benefits  produced  by  the  Committee. 
The  representatives  of  the  management  agree  as  to  the  success  of  the 
present  arrangements. 

(G)  The  Horstmann  Gear  Company,  Limited, 
93,  Newbridge  Road,  Lower  Weston,  Bath. 

These  works  are  a  small  engineering  establishment  employing 
70-80  men  and  aprentices  and  14  women.  There  are  no  labourers. 
The  men  are  all  skilled  mechanics.     There  are  16  apprentices. 

The  Works  Committee  was  formed  in  the  autumn  of  1916.  It 
was  set  up  at  the  suggestion  of  the  management  in  order  to  administer 
the  bonus  scheme  proposed  by  the  management,  in  response  to  a 
demand  by  the  employees  for  a  10  per  cent,  advance  in  wages  in  the 
autumn  of  1916. 

The  essentials  of  the  scheme  are  as  follows : — 

Each  month  a  sum  equal  to  5  per  cent,  on  the  wholesale  value 
appearing  in  the  stock  book  of  the  viewed  and  passed  manufacturing 
output  for  the  previous  month,  and  the  works'  value  of  other  work 
done  during  the  previous  month,  is  set  aside  as  a  bonus  fund. 

5  per  cent,  was  adopted,  as  that  was  the  percentage  on  the  output 
of  the  previous  month  represented  by  a  10  per  cent,  advance  on  the 
existing  current  wages  at  tlie  date  when  the  first  bonus  was  paid. 

Every  employee  in  the  works,  except  the  two  Managers  and  the 
Secretary,  participate  in  the  bonus  according  to  the  number  of  "profit- 
sharing  units"  to  which  he  or  she  is  entitled  under  the  scheme.  Each 
employee,  except  apprentices  for  whom  special  provision  is  made,  is 
entitled  to  one  "profit-sharing  unit"  for  each  halfpenny  per  hour  of  the 
employees'  time-rate,  up  to,  but  not  exceeding,  9d.  per  hour,  and  two 
units  for  each  completed  year  of  service  up  to  five  years.  Examples  : — 
An  employee  receiving  9d.  per  hour  and  having  been  three  years  with 
the  firm  would  be  entitled  to  24  units;  another,  receiving  Is.  3d.  per 
hour  and  with  three  years'  service,  would  also  receive  24  units  ;  and 
another,  with  two  years'  service  and  receiving  Sd.  per  hour,  would 
be  entitled  to  20  units. 

The  Committee  meets  regularly  each  month : — 

(i)   To   settle  the   amount  to  be   set  aside    for  payment   of 
bonus. 

For  this  purpose  the  books  of  the  Company  are  opened  to  the 
Committee. 

(ii)   To  assess  the  value  of  the  profit-sharing  unit. 

70 


(iii)  To  assess  the  fines  incurred  ])y  employees  under  the 
scheme.* 

(iv)  To  determine  the  amount  of  bonus  to  which  each 
employee  is  entitled. 

2.  Constitution. — The  Committee  is  a  Joint  Committee,  represent- 
ing :— 

(i)   The  management. 

(ii)   The  employees. 

The  two  Works  Managers  and  the  Secretary  are  cx-officio  mem- 
bers. These  gentlemen  are  also  the  Managing  Directors  of  the  Com- 
pany. 

The  rest  of  the  Committee  consist  of  six  representatives  of  the 
employees,  elected  by  ballot  by  all  the  employees.  The  six  members 
represent  the  works  as  a  whole.  Representation  is  not  based  on  depart- 
ments or  on  grades  of  workers.  All  employees,  apprentices  and  women 
as  w^ell  as  men,  are  voters. 

The  officers  consist  of  a  Chairman  and  a  Secretary.  The  officers 
are  elected  by  the  Committee.  The  present  Chairman  is  the  Chairman 
of  the  Directors.    The  chief  Clerk  has  been  elected  Secretary. 

The  Committee  meets  as  a  whole.  There  are  no  separate  meetings 
of  the  management  members  and  employee  members. 

The  present  elected  members  have  been  elected  for  an  indefinite 
term.    The  period  of  office  will  probably,  in  future,  be  six  months. 

The  constitution  has  not  been  reduced  to  writing,  and  must  be 
regarded  as  tentative.  More  women  will  shortly  be  employed,  and  it  is 
intended  then  to  consider  the  separate  representation  of  women  on  the 
Committee. 

Only  one  of  the  employees  is  a  Union  member.  The  question  of 
relationship  to  the  Trade  Unions  has.  therefore,  not  arisen. 

The  Committee  has  recently  formed  a  Works  Musical  Society, 
which  is  progressing  excellently.  A  canteen  will  shortly  be  established, 
and  it  is  intended  to  associate  the  Committee  with  its  management. 

3.  Functions  of  the  Committee. — The  Committee,  in  addition  to 
the  above-mentioned  special  duties,  is  charged  with  the  consideration 
generally  of  any  grievances  arising  in  the  shop.  Its  functions  in  this 
respect  are  not  specified  or  limited.  The  Committee  has  dealt  with 
shop  conditions,  wages,  holidays  and  bad  timekeeping.     It  discusses 


*  A  fine  of  a  certain  percentage  of  the  units  for  any  one  month,  with  a 
maximum  of  25  per  cent.,  may  be  inflicted  for  each  of  the  following  offences, 
and  these  units  will  then  be  temporarily  forfeited  for  the  month  in  question: — 

(a)  Insubordination,  or  use  of  improper   language. 

(b)  Undue   carelessness   and   wilful    damage. 

Ic)   Neglect  to  enter  goods,  advices,  time  cards,  dockets  or  time  sheets. 

(d)  Waste  of  tools  and  materials. 

{e)  Waste  of  time  by   failing  to   work   full  weeks,   or  by   slackness,  also 

including  undue  use  of  lavatory. 
if)   Refusal    to    work   a    reasonable    amount    of    overtime    when    requested 

without  sufficient  reason. 

71 


any  questions  arising  in  the  works  which  are  considered  suitable  for 
discussion. 

Procedure — The  Committee  meets  regularly  each  month.  It 
meets  some  15  minutes,  or  so,  before  the  end  of  the  working  day,  and 
the  employee  members  are  paid  for  the  time  so  spent  up  to  the  end  of 
the  working  day.  Any  time  occupied  after  the  end  of  the  working 
day  is  not  paid  for. 

Meetings  take  place  on  the  works. 

]\Ieetings  are  summoned  informally  by  verbal  notice  to  members. 

The  length  of  meeting  varies  according  to  the  amount  of  business 
to  be  transacted. 

Minutes  are  regularly  kept  of  the  proceedings. 

5.  General. — No  arrangements  have  as  yet  been  worked  out  for 
keeping  the  Committee  in  touch  with  the  general  body  of  employees. 
The  necessity  for  such  arrangements  has  not  been  felt.  The  decisions 
of  the  Com.mittee  appear  to  have  given  complete  satisfaction.  Em- 
ployees are  not  bound  to  report  grievances  to  the  Committee ;  if  they 
wish  they  can  approach  the  management  direct.  Every  facility  for  this 
is  afforded  to  all  employees. 

The  value  of  the  unit  has  already  advanced  some  30  per  cent.,  and 
is  expected  to  rise  rapidly  in  the  near  future  owing  to  improved 
methods  and  efficiency.  The  Committee  is  regarded  as  a  great  success, 
and  has  acted  as  a  great  incentive  to  efficiency  in  the  works  and  in 
furthering  increased  production. 

(H)  H.  O.  Strong  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  Norfolk  Works, 
St.  Paul's,  Bristol 
This  establishment  is  a  small  engineering  works  employing  about 
120  men,  women  and  boys.  . 

The  Managing  Director  personally  supervises  the  whole  of  the 
works,  and  very  close  personal  contact  is  maintained  between  the  man- 
agement and  the  employees. 

1.  Origin. — For  several  years  prior  to  the  latter  part  of  1915  the 
Company  adopted  the  practice  of  meeting  the  whole  of  the  men 
employed  in  the  works,  once  a  month,  to  discuss  any  matters  connected 
with  the  establishment  that  seemed  to  require  examination.  At  the 
end  of  1915  this  practice  was  abandoned  because  it  was  felt  by  the 
management — 

(i)   That  much  time  was  wasted   discussing  irrelevant  and 
unimportant  matters. 

(ii)   That   real   grievances   did   not    freely   come   out   in   the 
presence  of  the  whole  body  of  employees. 

The  last  meeting  of  this  character  took  place  towards  the  end  of 
1915,  and  at  this  meeting  the  Managing  Director  pointed  out  these 
objections    to    the    existing    practice,    and    suggested    that    a    Works 

72 


Committee  should  be  constituted.     The  management  then  retired,  and 
the  proposal  was  discussed  by  the  employees  alone. 

The  employees  agreed  to  the  proposal,  and  proceeded  to  elect 
seven  representatives  to  form  an  Employees'  Committee,  which  would 
meet  as  a  Joint  Works  Committee  with  the  management. 

2.  Constitution. — The  Committee  is  composed  of : 

(a)  Three  representatives  of  the  management  nominated  by 
the  Managing  Director,  namely : — 

The  Managing  Director. 

Manager  of  the  Repair  Department. 

Works  Manager  of  the  Manufacturing  Departments. 

(b)  Seven  representatives  of  the  employees. 
Representation  is  based  on  occupation,  not  on  the  department  in 

which  the  men  work. 

The  representatives  are  divided  as  follows : — 

1.  Labourers   (1). 

2.  Machinists  (1). 

3.  Turners  (1). 

4.  Millwrights    (1). 

5.  Patternmakers  (1). 

6.  Fitters  (1). 

7.  Apprentices   (1). 

Some  20  women  are  employed,  but  are  not  represented. 

Of  the  seven  representatives,  four  are  members  of  the  Amalga- 
mated Society  of  Engineers,  three  are  non-Unionists. 

The  employees'  representatives  are  appointed  at  an  annual  meet- 
ing of  all  the  employees  (other  than  women)  held  in  September.  They 
are  appointed  for  twelve  months. 

The  Managing  Director  has  been  elected  Chairman  of  the  Joint 
Committee. 

The  men's  representatives  meet  separatel}^  as  an  Employees'  Com- 
mittee for  the  purposes  mentioned  below  in  paragraph  4.  The 
Employees'  Committee  elects  one  of  its  members  as  Chairman.  The 
Chairman  acts  as  convenor. 

There  is  no  relation  between  the  Committee  and  the  Trade  Unions 
concerned.  A  Trade  Union  official,  as  such,  does  not,  therefore,  attend 
the  meetings,  but  one  of  the  Committee  is  the  shop  steward  appointed 
by  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers. 

No  constitution  of  the  Committee  has  been  definitely  formulated. 
It  is  at  present  experimental,  and  is  developing  in  accordance  with 
experience. 

3.  Functions  of  the  Committee. — Since  the  appointment  of  the 
Committee,  no  complaints  or  suggestions  come  direct  to  the  manage- 
ment ;  they  are  first  taken  to  the  Employees'  Committee  as  explained 
hereafter. 

73 


The  Committee  has  dealt  with  the  following  classes  of  business : — 
Stoppage  of  bonus. 
General  discipline. 

Interpretation  of  official  Orders  and  Circulars. 
Interpretation  of  Trade  Union  rules  and  regulations. 
Shop  conditions,  lavatories,  ventilation,  &c. 
Decisions  of  foremen. 
Timekeeping. 
Output  and  costs. 
Overtime. 

Grant  and  withholding  of  Leaving  Certificates. 
The  Committee  has  proved  specially  useful  as  a  means  of  arriving 
at  the  proper  interpretation  of  official  Orders  and  Circulars.  The 
operation  of  the  recent  Order  granting  a  bonus  of  12^/2  per  cent,  to 
certain  skilled  time-workers  (the  Skilled  Time  Workers  (Engineers 
and  Moulders)  Wages  Order,  1917)  was  discussed  at  the  last  meeting, 
and  its  operation  in  these  works  determined. 

4.  Procedure. — Complaints  or  suggestions  are  brought,  in  the  first 
instance,  to  the  attention  of  one  of  the  men's  representatives.  Nor- 
mally, the  complaint  or  suggestion  is  made  to  the  representative  of 
the  grade  to  which  the  person  making  the  complaint  or  suggestion 
belongs.  This  representative  then  notifies  the  Chairman  of  the 
Employees'  Committee,  who  asks  the  foreman's  consent  to  a  meeting 
of  the  Employees'  Committee  being  held,  and  arranges  with  him  a 
convenient  time.  The  members  are  then  notified  verbally  of  the  time 
and  place  of  meeting. 

A  meeting  is  held  as  soon  as  possible  after  receipt  of  the  complaint 
or  suggestion. 

The  meeting  takes  place  in  the  employers'  time. 
All  work  in  the  establishment  is  paid  on  a  day  work  basis.     The 
men  are  paid  for  time  occupied  on  Committee  business. 

The  men's  meetings  are  of  short  duration,  and  are  held  in  the 
works. 

If  the  Employees'  Committee  can  deal  finally  with  the  question 
raised,  they  do  so.  If  not,  the  Chairman  of  the  Employees'  Committee 
approaches  the  Managing  Director  as  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Commit- 
tee and  asks  for  a  meeting  of  the  Joint  Committee.  These  meetings 
are  held  in  the  firm's  time,  and  the  Committee  meets  in  the  office  of 
the  Managing  Director. 

Joint  meetings  occupy  from  half-an-hour  to  two  hours,  according 
to  the  amount  of  business  to  be  transacted. 

A  shorthand  typewriter  is  present  to  take  notes,  from  which  regu- 
lar minutes  are  entered  up  in  a  minute  book. 
No  voting  takes  place. 

All  decisions  are  arrived  at  by  agreement. 

There    is   no    regular   time    for   holding   meetings    of    the    Joint 

74 


Committee.  Meetings  are  held  as  and  when  required,  and  are  held  as 
soon  as  possible  after  a  request  for  a  meeting  is  preferred  by  cither  the 
management  or  the  Employees'  Committee. 

5.  Relations  with  Trade  Unions. — There  is  no  direct  relation 
between  the  Committee  and  the  Trade  Unions. 

The  Unions  are  recognised  by  the  company,  and  all  Union  matters 
are  arranged  direct  between  the  management  and  the  Union  ofificials. 

The  Joint  Committee  is  only  concerned  with  Union  Rules  so  far 
as  affects  their  interpretation  in  relation  to  the  circumstances  of  the 
works. 

The  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers  have  a  shop  steward  in 
the  shop.  The  latter  is  a  member  of  the  Committee,  but  not  in  his 
official  capacity  as  shop  steward. 

No  difficulties  have  arisen  with  the  Unions. 

6.  General. — The  management  have  found  the  Committee  of  the 
greatest  service  in  conducting  the  business  of  the  works.  It  has 
obviated  the  necessity  of  posting  notices,  always  liable  to  be  misunder- 
stood, in  many  instances.  A  good  output  has  been  maintained,  and  no 
trouble  has  arisen  in  the  works.  The  management  believe  that  the 
essential  point  in  preserving  good  relations  with  their  employees  is  to 
ensure  an  open  and  full  understanding,  and  that  this  can  only  be 
secured  by  frequent  contact  with  every  section  of  opinion  in  the  works. 

The  employees  find  the  Committee  of  advantage  to  them  because, 
instead  of  any  complaints  being  subject  to  the  whim  of  a  foreman  or 
the  ipse  dixit  of  a  manager,  the  matter  is  finally  decided  by  a  commit- 
tee of  their  own  mates,  or,  if  this  is  not  found  possible,  by  a  joint  meet- 
ing of  their  own  representatives  with  the  management.  Moreover, 
there  is  no  delay.  Rapidity  of  action  is  regarded  as  essential  if  a 
scheme  of  control  of  this  sort  is  to  work  satisfactorily. 

There  is  general  agreement  that,  in  a  small  meeting  of  nine  or  ten 
persons  meeting  informally,  men  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  what 
they  think,  and  it  is  thus  possible  to  gauge  the  "temperature"  of  the 
shop  with  some  accuracy. 

(I)   Messrs.  Guest,  Keen  and  Nettleford,  Ltd.,  Birmingham. 
Works — Engineering:     Screw,    nut,   bolt    and   rivet.     Employees 
(affected  by  the  scheme,  in  3  works),  2,500.     Departments,  some  50. 
General   labour,   about   one-third  of   the   whole.     Women   employees, 
1,850. 

1.  There  are  five  separate  works  of  the  firm,  all  engaged  in  the 
same  business,  in  the  Birmingham  district.  Three  of  these,  contiguous 
to  one  another  (Heath  Street,  Imperial  Mills,  and  St.  George's),  are 
fully  included  in  the  scheme  here  described.  The  two  others  follow 
the  same  lines,  but,  being  more  distant,  are  not  included  in  the  actual 
operation  of  the  scheme.  The  origin  of  the  scheme  was  as  follows : — 
Early  in  1914  there  was  a  series  of  strikes  of  the  women  employees, 

75 


and  these  strikes  affected  the  men  employees,  as  machines  stood  idle, 
work  was  not  ready,  and  wages  were  lost.  The  result  was  that  the 
men  also  struck.  When  matters  had  thus  reached  a  deadlock,  a  mass 
meeting  of  the  men  was  held  on  May  9th,  1914,  which  was  attended  by 
the  management,  and  at  this  meeting  the  outlines  of  the  scheme  now  in 
force  were  suggested.  Subsequently  a  mass  meetmg  of  the  women  was 
also  held,  and  the  management  and  representatives  of  the  men  attended. 
The  scheme  was  again  propounded,  and  was  accepted  by  the  meeting. 
Finally  a  mass  meeting  of  men  and  women,  with  the  management 
attending,  was  held,  and  here  the  scheme  (on  the  lines  of  No.  XII. 
and  No.  IV.  of  the  present  rules — that  there  should  be  no  strike  with- 
out consultation  of  the  firm,  and  meanwhile  the  machines  should  be 
kept  running,  and  that  there  should  be  an  Appeals  Committee  in  each 
of  the  three  contiguous  works)  was  accepted. 

2.  The  works  were  conducted  on  this  basis  for  over  two  years, 
down  to  August,  1916,  without  any  difificulty.  At  that  time  the  ques- 
tion arose  of  an  advance  in  wages  to  meet  the  rise  of  prices.  The 
matter  went  to  arbitration,  and  during  the  arbitration  the  full  scheme, 
as  it  is  now  in  operation,  was  presented  to  the  arbitrator  for  his  opinion. 
He  approved  it,  and  not  only  so,  but  gave  legal  advice  free  of  cost. 
Negotiations  with  the  directors  took  place,  and  in  December  they 
accepted  the  scheme,  and  a  formal  agreement  was  concluded  by  which 
the  men,  as  a  society,  agreed  to  a  signed  contract  that  they  would  not 
strike  without  consultation  of  the  firm,  and  received  in  return  a  system 
of  Appeals  Committee  in  each  of  the  three  works  and  a  central  control 
board  for  all  the  three. 

3.  The  scheme,  which  came  into  full  working  in  December,  1916, 
embraces,  as  has  been  said,  three  works,*  including  the  greater  part  of 
the  manufacturing  section  ;  but  the  engineering  section  (which  contains 
about  300  employees)  is  not  at  all  under  or  connected  with  the  scheme, 
its  members  belonging  to  various  other  societies.  The  2,500  employees 
of  the  manufacturing  section  of  the  three  works  form  a  definite  Trade 
Society  or  Union.  Few  of  them  before  the  scheme  came  into  opera- 
tion were  members  of  a  Union ;  all  of  them  are  now  members  of  the 
new  Union.  This  new  Union  does  not  belong  to  any  Trades  Council 
or  Allied  Trades  Committees ;  its  strike  rules  forbid  such  membership. 
The  Union  is  thus  peculiar ;  it  is  a  small  Union  consisting  of  the 
employees  of  a  single  firm. 

4.  The  Union,  as  has  been  said,  has  entered  into  a  definite  contract 
with  the  firm,  by  which  it  covenants  not  to  strike  without  consultation, 

*  Two  other  works  of  the  firm  in  the  district  (Broad  Street  and  King's 
Norton)  are  not  included  in  the  scheme,  and  have  no  Appeal  Committee ;  but 
the  wages  and  conditions  at  these  works  are  aflfected  and  largely  controlled  by 
the  system  in  force  at  the  three  contiguous  works.  One  of  these  works  is 
likely  to  come  fully  into  the  scheme,  as  its  site  is  to  be  in  the  future  nearer  to 
those  of  the  others ;  the  other  is  out  in  the  country,  and  so  outside  the  scheme. 

76 


and  to  keep  the   machines  running  meanwhile,   in  return    for  certain 
concessions.     The  first  of  these  is  : — 

(a)  The  Appeals  Committee. — There  is  an  Appeals  Committee  in 
each  of  the  three  works.  Each  Committee  contains  men  and  women 
representatives,  elected,  one  for  each  section,  by  a  ballot  among  the 
employees  of  the  section;  and  each  has  its  Chairman,  but  the  Chairman 
of  the  Central  Control  Board  often  presides  at  meetings  of  the  different 
Appeals  Committees.  The  Appeals  Committees  deal  with  questions 
other  than  those  of  wages.  Their  province  includes  lavatories,  can- 
teen, general  health  and  welfare ;  but  they  deal  mostly  with  shop  condi- 
tions and  grievances.  Any  employee  with  a  grievance  states  it  to  the 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  or  to  one  of  its  members  who  reports  it  to 
the  Chairman.  The  Chairman  then  sends  a  note  on  a  regular  form  to 
invite  the  foreman  to  meet  him  in  order  to  discuss  the  matter.  The 
matter  may  be  settled  at  such  a  meeting;  if  it  is  not,  it  goes  to  the 
Appeals  Committee;  and  if,  in  the  opinion  of  that  committee,  it  raises 
questions  outside  their  province,  it  is  referred  to — 

(b)  The  Central  Control  Board. — ^This  contains,  at  the  present 
time,  from  25  to  30  members,  including  men  and  women.  The  mem- 
bers are  nominated  by  the  different  Appeals  Committees,  subject  to 
ratification  by  a  general  meeting  of  the  works  concerned.  (Meetings 
of  800  are  not  at  all  uncommon;  the  employees  attend  well,  as  there 
is  a  rule  that  unless  two-thirds  are  present  there  is  no  quorum  and 
nothing  can  be  done.)  The  President  of  the  Central  Control  Board  is 
elected  by  the  whole  Society.  The  present  President  has  been  in  indus- 
try for  the  last  37  years,  and  has  had  a  long  practical  experience  in 
the  w'orks  of  all  the  wage-questions  which  form  the  staple  of  the 
functions  of  the  Control  Board.  In  the  handling  of  these  questions 
the  usual  method  is  as  follows :  A  wage-question  is  reported  to  the 
President,  and  he  then  communicates  v^ith  the  management  in  writing. 
If  it  is  a  question  of  local  detail,  he  writes  to  the  works  manager  of 
the  particular  w^orks ;  if  it  is  a  question  of  a  general  kind,  he  writes 
to  the  general  works  manager.  The  manager  addressed  replies  to  the 
President  in  writing  (but,  as  a  rule,  there  has  been  a  personal  interview 
between  the  two  before  the  reply  comes)  and  the  reply  is  reported  by 
the  President  to  the  Central  Control  Board.  If  the  reply  of  the  man- 
agement is  satisfactory  to  the  Central  Control  Board,  the  matter,  of 
course,  ends  ;  if  it  is  not,  the  Central  Control  Board  makes  further 
representations  to  the  management.  The  Control  Board  does  not  meet 
the  management;  the  relations  are  entirely  by  correspondence,  supple- 
mented by  personal  interviews  between  the  President  and  management.. 

(c)  The  last  resort,  if  a  question  is  not  settled  between  the  Con- 
trol Board  and  the  management,  is  the  Conciliation  Board,  consisting 
of  two  representatives  of  the  management  and  two  of  the  Control 
Board.  This  Board  has  never  acted  hitherto,  since,  under  the  working 
of    the    ATunitions    Act.    questions    which    would    have    gone    to    the 

77 


Conciliation  Board  under  normal  conditions  now  go  to  London  for 
settlement.  In  this  event  the  President  writes  to  the  Ministry  of 
Munitions  to  state  the  men's  case,  giving  a  copy  of  his  letter  to  the  firm  ; 
and  a  general  meeting  of  all  the  employers  affected  may  be  held  before 
the  letter  is  sent,  just  as  would  be  the  case  if  the  normal  procedure 
contemplated  in  the  rules  were  being  followed. 

5.  In  regard  to  the  general  working  of  the  system  the  following 
points  may  be  made : 

The  firm  permits  anybody  to  see  the  President  in  the  works 
(another  workman  sees  to  his  machine  while  he  is  absent)  ;  it  allows 
his  letters  to  go  by  the  works  mail ;  it  has  supplied  him  with  a  desk 
beside  the  bench  at  which  he  works  and  facilities  for  keeping  his  books 
and  papers.  A  room  is  set  aside  in  which  he  can  have  interviews,  and 
the  firm  provides  a  room  for  meetings  of  the  Appeals  Committee  and 
Control  Board.  The  management  is  always  ready  to  see  the  President 
when  he  asks  for  an  interview,  and  he  has  full  liberty  to  go  anywhere 
in  the  three  works,  without  asking  for  permission,  in  order  to  interview 
employees  or  committeemen  and  to  discuss  grievances. 

As  has  been  mentioined,  any  grievance  between  an  employee  and 
an  overlooker  is  discussed  between  the  Chairman  of  one  of  the  Appeals 
Committee  and  the  overlooker  concerned ;  but  if  it  is  not  settled  the 
complainant  and  the  overlooker  appear  before  the  Appeals  Committee 
and  both  state  their  case.  The  Committee  decides  which  of  the  parties 
is,  in  their  view,  in  the  right,  and  they  send  the  matter  for  adjustment 
to  the  management. 

The  work  of  the  President  under  the  scheme  is  unpaid. 

(J)  A  Firm  of  Electrical  Engineers 

This  establishment  is  an  engineering  works  employing  400  women, 
150  men  and  150  boys. 

About  40  of  the  men  are  skilled.  These  are  all  members  of  the 
Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers. 

The  establishment  is  almost  entirely  engaged  in  making  18-pounder 
shells.  A  small  amount  of  private  work  is  done,  principally  heads  of 
trolley  arms  for  electrically  propelled  tramcars. 

1.  Origin. — The  Works  Committee  was  established  in  the  Autumn 
of  1915. 

It  was  brought  into  existence  to  assist  in  fixing  and  adjusting 
piece-work  prices. 

The  Committee  was  suggested  by  the  men  employed  at  the  works, 
and  the  local  delegates  of  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers  also 
recommended  the  establishment  of  the  Committee  to  the  Managing 
Director. 

2.  Constitution. — The  Committee  is  a  men's  committee  only.  It 
consists  of  5  men.     The  women  and  boys  are  not  represented.    The  5 

78 


members  are  elected  by  the  shop  as  a  whole,  and  do  not  represent 
separate  departments  or  grades. 

The  constitution  of  the  Committee  has  not  been  reduced  to  writing. 
It  is  at  present  experimental,  and  is  developing  in  accordance  with 
experience. 

3.  Functions  of  the  Committee. — The  principal  business  of  the 
Committee  is  to  assist  in  fixing  and  adjusting  piece-work  prices.  The 
questions  which  arise  on  this  score  are,  however,  not  complicated  or 
difficult,  as  the  establishment  has,  since  the  Committee  was  formed, 
been  engaged  almost  entirely  on  repetition  work.  The  management,  in 
the  first  instance,  settle  what  they  consider  fair  prices,  and  submit  them 
to  the  Committee  with  the  data  on  which  they  have  been  fixed.  The 
men's  committee  then  meets  separately  to  consider  the  suggested  prices. 
Ample  time  is  allowed  them  to  consider  and  discuss  the  matter,  both 
among  themselves  and  with  the  workers  afifected.  A  joint  meeting  is 
then  held  between  the  Committee  and  the  management,  at  which  the 
several  prices  under  consideration  are  reviewed,  and  any  suggestions 
as  to  amendment  are  considered.  If  a  good  case  is  made  out  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  management  the  price  is  raised  or  reduced.  If  it 
becomes  necessary  to  reconsider  the  price  already  fixed,  any  sugges- 
tions on  this  score  are  brought  by  the  Committee  to  the  attention  of  the 
management,  and  are  jointly  considered.  No  friction  of  any  sort  has 
so  far  arisen.  Prices  have  been  frequently  reduced  or  increased  by 
mutual  agreement.  Under  ordinary  conditions  of  work,  problems  aris- 
ing as  to  fixing  and  adjusting  piece-work  rates  will  be  more  difficult, 
but  the  Managing  Director  considers  that  they  can  be  best  dealt  with 
on  the  lines  above  indicated. 

No  limits  have  been  put  to  the  matters  with  which  the  Committee 
may  deal,  and  it  is  open  to  the  Committee  to  bring  forward  any  sug- 
gestions or  complaints  relating  to  the  management  of  the  shop. 
The  Committee  has  dealt  with  the  following  matters  :— 

Ventilating  and  sanitary  questions. 

Complaint's  as  to  the  decisions  of  foremen. 

Arrangement  of  shifts. 

Allocation  of  piecework  and  day-work. 

Holidays. 

Alteration  of  hours  of  admission  to  the  works. 

Interpretation  of  official  orders  and  circulars. 
At  the  last  meeting  the  application  to  this  establishment  of  the 
Skilled  Time  Workers  (Engineers  and  Moulders)  Wages  Order,  1917, 
was  discussed. 

The  Managing  Director  is  of  opinion  that  the  Committee  should 
also  be  charged  with  the  supervision  of  dismissals  and  reduction  of 
staff,  and  it  is  likely  that  steps  will  be  taken  to  utilise  the  services  of 
the  Committee  in  this  respect. 

79 


The  Committee  deals  solely  with  domestic  questions  arising  in 
the  shop. 

4.  Procedure. — The  men's  committee  meets  separately  on  the 
employers'  premises  and  in  the  employers'  time.  Time  spent  on  Com- 
mittee work  is  paid  by  the  employers.  On  request,  the  Committee 
meets  the  Managing  Director  and  the  Works  Manager. 

Requests  for  meetings  are  made  by  the  Committee  to  the  Works 
Manager. 

Meetings  with  the  management  take  place  in  the  firm's  time,  and 
time  is  paid. 

There  are  no  fixed  times  for  meetings.  Meetings  either  of  the 
employees'  committee  or  joint  meetings  with  the  management  are  held 
at  such  times  as  may  be  found  necessary. 

On  any  business  arising,  a  convenient  time  for  a  men's  committee 
or  a  meeting  with  the  management  is  arranged  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  generally  upon  the  same  day. 

Meetings  are  called  informally  by  verbal  notice. 

Meetings  with  the  management  are  of  an  informal  charatrter,  and 
the  men's  representatives  are,  if  necessary,  accompanied  by  the  local 
delegate  of  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers. 

5.  Relations  zvith  the  Trade  Unions. — There  is  no  official  relation 
between  the  Committee  and  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers. 
The  Union  is  recognised  by  the  company,  and  very  cordial  relations 
exist  between  the  management  and  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engi- 
neers' officials  in  the  district.  All  Trade  Union  matters  are  dealt  with 
direct  by  the  management  and  the  Union  officials.  No  difficulties  of 
any  sort  have  arisen  with  the  Union. 

6.  General. — The  Committee  is  regarded  by  the  management,  the 
men  and  the  Union  officials  of  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers 
as  a  great  success.  The  management  have  found  the  Committee  of  the 
greatest  service  in  conducting  the  business  of  the  works.  The  Manag- 
ing Director  considers  the  existence  of  such  a  Committee  as  essential, 
and  strongly  supports  any  scheme  by  which  the  workers  may  be  given 
a  great  share  in  the  control  of  industry.  In  his  opinion,  the  success  of 
any  such  scheme  pivots  on  the  establishment  of  satisfactory  joint 
work  committees. 

(K.)    HOTCHKISS  ET  ClE,  ARTILLERY  WoRKS,  COVENTRY. 

From  Official  Constitution  of  Works  Committee  as  Approved  by 
the  Ministry  of  Munitions 
The  recognition  of  a  Shop  Committee,  such  Committee  to  be  com- 
posed of  Stewards  elected  by  their  representative  Departments  by  secret 
ballot  and  endorsed  by  their  respective  Union  District  Committees. 

In  deciding  on  representation  the  principle  will  be  one  representa- 
tive for  each  Department  having  not  less  than  approximately  100 
employees.     In  cases  of  smaller  Departments,  these  may  be  grouped 

80 


together  and  representation  of  the  Departments  so  grouped  will  be  on 
the  same  basis.     No  employee  of  less  than  18  years  may  vote. 
Functions  of  the  Committee  : — 

(a)  To  provide  a  recognised  channel  of  communication 
between  the  employees  and  the  management. 

{b)  To  present  to  the  management,  through  the  Chairman  of 
the  Committee,  any  grievance  or  suggestion  which,  after  full  con- 
sideration, they  think  worthy  of  the  firm's  attention. 

Procedure. 

If  the  management  and  the  Committee  fail  to  agree,  and  on  all 
questions  of  principle,  negotiations  will  proceed  between  the  manage- 
ment and  the  Union  as  hitherto.  The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  will 
have  facilities  to  consult  the  Union  local  officials. 

Failing  settlement  with  the  Union,  Part  1  of  the  Munitions  of 
War  Act.  1915,  will  apply. 

No  stoppage  of  work  will  occur  during  negotiations. 

Meetings  of  the  Committee  will  be  held  after  working  hours 
unless  called  in  case  of  emergency  at  the  request  of  the  management. 

Note  from  Firm. — "The  Committee  came  into  existence  at  Easter, 
1917.  It  was  instituted  in  the  first  place  on  a  two  months'  trial  and. 
as  it  momentarily  achieved  its  object,  was  continued  until  about  the 
end  of  the  year.  The  constitution  of  the  Committee  then  became 
unacceptable  to  the  Shop  Stewards  and  the  Committee  lapsed." 

(L.)  A  Large  Engineering  Establishment 

1.  From  the  point  of  z'icw  of  the  manacjcwent. — A  Dilution  Com- 
mittee arose  in  1916  when  dilution  was  introduced.  There  were  no 
particular  rules  about  its  constitution.  At  the  end  of  1916,  after  the 
question  of  dilution  had  been  worked  out,  and  as  the  Committee  com- 
menced to  take  up  other  questions,  the  firm  began  to  consider  the 
formal  institution  of  a  Works  Committee  in  place  of  this  informal 
Dilution  Committee.     The  Note  printed  below  gives  particulars. 

A  Joint  Shop  Committee  was  set  up,  but  only  lasted  a  few  months. 
It  would  appear  that  the  really  crucial  question,  which  led  to  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Joint  Committee,  was  the  position  of  the  Shop  Stewards, 
which  was  perhaps  not  properly  co-ordinated  with  the  institution  of  the 
Joint  Committee.  The  men  stood  out  against  the  Committee  because, 
in  their  view,  its  effect  would  be  to  weaken  the  authority  of  the  Shop 
Stewards.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  firm  has  always  in  practice  recog- 
nised the  Shop  Stewards,  though  in  the  institution  of  the  Shop  Com- 
mittee it  did  not  take  their  position  specifically  into  account.  The  man- 
agement sees  them  whenever  they  wish  it.  Generally,  they  come  in 
twos — a  Convenor  attending  with  the  Shop  Steward  of  the  department 
from  which  the  complaint  is  brought.  This  still  goes  on;  and.  there- 
fore, though  the  Committee  is  dead,  the  principle  of  such  a  Committee 

81 


still  lives.  Generally,  it  is  true,  the  Shop  Steward  goes  to  the  foreman 
first  with  a  complaint;  but  he  can  come  straight  to  the  management 
if  he  is  dissatisfied  with  the  foreman's  answer. 

2.  From  the  point  of  zieiv  of  the  men. — The  same  people  were 
Shop  Stewards  and  members  of  the  Shop  Committee,  but  they  pre- 
ferred to  act  in  the  former  capacity.  One  reason  for  this  preference 
was  curious  but  natural.  There  were  24  Shop  Stewards  in  the  estab- 
lishment; there  were  only  nine  representatives  of  the  men  on  the  Joint 
Committee,  as  the  management  held  the  view  that  the  Committee  must 
not  be  so  large  as  to  be  unwieldy.  The  15  Shop  Stewards  who  were 
excluded  from  the  Committee  were  discontented. 

3.  The  last  straw  which  broke  down  the  Joint  Committee  was  a 
curious  thing.  It  was  a  question  of  the  washing  of  women's  overalls. 
The  women  had  agitated  (or  been  agitated)  about  the  matter;  it  was 
brought  before  the  Committee ;  the  men  took  umbrage  at  a  long  dis- 
cussion of  such  a  matter,  and  the  end  came. 

In  spite  of  this  failure,  both  management  and  men  appear  to  be 
in  favour  of  the  idea  of  a  Joint  Committee. 

Note. — Joint  Shop  Committee 

Is  is  proposed  to  form  a  Joint  Shop  Committee  for  the  purpose  of 
mutual  discussion  of  shop  questions,  with  a  view  to  securing  har- 
monious relations  and  efficiency  in  the  working  conditions  of  the 
establishment. 

The  Committee  will  consist  of  representatives  elected  by  ballot  by 
the  workmen  and  women  of  the  various  departments,  arranged  in  nine 
divisions  as  shown  below,  one  representative  to  each  division.  The 
firm  will  be  represented  by  the  Directors  and  Departmental  Managers. 
The  Committee  will  have  power  to  co-opt  any  employee  or  works 
official  for  attendance  at  any  meeting  where  such  attendance  may  be 
necessary. 

A  first  ballot  will  be  taken  in  each  department,  each  employee  being 
at  liberty  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  his  department.  The  two  can- 
didates receiving  the  largest  number  of  nomination  papers  will  be 
selected  for  the  final  ballot,  and  the  nominee  receiving  the  larger  num- 
ber of  votes  in  the  final  ballot  will  be  the  elected  representative  of  the 
department. 

It  is  suggested  that  the  representatives  should  hold  office  for  six 
months.  A  payment  of  2s.  6d.  per  meeting  attended  will  be  paid  to 
each  representative  by  the  firm. 

The  Committee  will  meet  on  the  first  Thursday  of  each  month 
at  5  p.m.,  or  as  may  be  required.  • 

The  scheme  is  a  purely  domestic  one,  and  is  an  attempt  by  the 
firm  to  provide  a  more  direct  means  of  communication  with  their 
employees  in  all  matters  affecting  their  conditions  and  the  development 
of  the  establishment  generally.     The  Directors  invite  the  co-operation 

82 


and  interest  of  the  employee?  in  the  scheme,  and  trust  that  each  indi- 
vidual will  register  his  vote  according  to  his  judgment,  in  order  to 
make  the  Joint  Committee  thoroughly  representative. 

The  ballot  will  be  secret,  so  that  no  parties  will  be  in  a  position  to 
ascertain  how  any  worker  has  voted.  Intimation  will  be  made  to  each 
department  when  the  first  ballot  will  take  place.  The  arrangements  in 
connection  with  the  election  and  voting  will  be  carried  out  by  the  exist- 
ing Joint  Shop  Committee. 

(M)  A  Munitions  Factory. 

The  company  owns  two  factories  and  manages  two  others,  and 
altogether  employs  about  ten  thousand  workers.  Its  products  are 
ammunition  of  various  kinds  for  Naval  and  Military  purposes. 

This  note  only  refers  to  one  of  their  factories,  in  which  there  are 
four  thousand  employees,  of  whom  one  thousand  five  hundred  are 
women.  One  hundred  of  the  males  are  general  labourers,  the  rest 
being  skilled  or  semi-skilled. 

The  Works  Committee  was  formed  in  May,  1917.  and  consists  of 
twenty-one  members.  It  is  composed  of  and  is  elected  by  the  men, 
the  election  taking  place  at  shop  meetings.  At  present  the  women 
have  no  representative  and  no  vote  in  the  elections.  Nevertheless,  the 
women  have  laid  certain  matters  aflfecting  them  before  the  Committee 
for  consideration,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Committee  is  in  touch  with 
the  Organiser  of  the  National  F"ederation  of  Women  Workers,  and 
should  need  arise  would  deal  with  the  Women's  Section  of  the  Work- 
ers' Union,  or,  indeed,  any  organisation  of  female  labour. 

There  is  no  rule  excluding  non-Unionists,  but,  in  fact,  all  the 
members  of  the  Committee  are  Trade  Unionists. 

The  Committee  meets  weekly  on  Tuesdays  at  supper-time  (i.e., 
in  the  men's  own  time).  In  cases  of  real  urgency  the  general  man- 
ager gives  permission  for  meetings  in  the  company's  time. 

The  Committee  has  a  Secretary,  who  is  largely  responsible  for  the 
work  transacted.  He  communicates  the  recommendations  of  the  Com- 
mittee to  the  general  manager  through  the  company's  labour  officer. 

The  Committee,  though  perhaps  not  formally  recognised  by  the 
company,  is,  in  practice,  treated  as  a  body  with  which  negotiations  can 
be  concluded. 

The  general  procedure  is  as  follows : — 

Matters  for  the  consideration  of  the  Committee  are  reduced  to 
writing  and  brought  up  at  a  meeting.  They  are  then  discussed.  In 
many  cases  the  Committee  are  able  to  give  advice  or  instructions  on  the 
matter  without  any  reference  to  the  management.  Should  it  be 
decided  that  in  the  opinion  of  the  Committee  some  alteration  should 
be  made,  the  labour  officer  is  requested  to  lay  the  matter  before  the 
general  manager,  who  frequently  discusses  the  subject  with  the  Secre- 
tary before  coming  to  a  decision. 

83 


Should  the  matter  be  deemed  to  be  very  important  or  of  a  funda- 
mental character  the  Committee  request  the  general  manager  to  receive 
a  deputation. 

Up  to  the  time  of  writing  the  working  of  this  Committee,  as 
guided  by  its  present  Secretary,  is  considered  by  the  company  as  most 
helpful.  It  has  settled  many  alleged  grievances  without  any  trouble, 
has  prevented  several  threatened  strikes,  and  generally  tended  ta 
smooth  and  harmonious  working  in  the  factory. 

The  success  of  the  whole  scheme  is  largely  due  to  the  tact  and 
good  sense  of  both  the  company's  labour  officer  and  the  Works  Com- 
mittee's Secretary. 

In  conclusion  it  should  be  stated  that  before  the  formation  of  the 
Works  Committee  many  consultations  had  to  take  place  between 
employees  and  their  respective  Unions  to  settle  minor  points.  This 
procedure  has  now  been  found  unnecessary,  as  the  operation  of  the 
Committee  so  far  has  made  it  easy  for  both  small  and  great  matters  to 
be  ventilated  and  promptly  dealt  with  with  the  least  possible  friction 
and  delay. 

(N)    AVhitehead  Torpedo  Works  (Weymouth),  Ltd.,  Weymouth. 

The  following  summary  contains  part  of  a  memorandum  sent  to 
the  representatives  of  13  trade  unions.  A  letter,  which  accompanied 
the  memorandum,  suggested  that  a  general  meeting  of  delegates  of 
each  organised  society  in  the  works  should  be  called  to  discuss  with 
the  firm  the  formation  and  constitution  of  the  oroposed  Council.  The 
proposals  are  now  under  discussion  by  the  trade  unionists. 

In  the  memorandum  the  firm  suggest : — 

"That  the  existing  trade  union  organisations  may  be  made  the 
basis  of  a  general  Council,  of  reasonable  size,  representing  every  union 
in  the  works,  and  given  the  fullest  possible  powers  to  take  decisions, 
subject,  of  course,  to  reference  to  the  constituent  branches  on  any 
issue  of  sufficient  importance." 

They  then  state  that : — 

"The  firm's  aim  is  to  associate  (through  a  Council  appointed  in 
such  a  way  as  to  recognise  and  strengthen  the  position  of  the  existing 
trade  organisations)  the  whole  body  of  workers  in  everything  that  con- 
cerns their  well-being,  discipline,  and  control,  and,  by  stirring  in  each 
individual  the  sense  of  his  responsibility  towards  the  State,  the  indus- 
try and  the  works,  to  enable  such  a  Council  to  secure  loyal  compliance 
with  any  decision  arrived  at  conjointly  with  the  firm." 

A  programme  of  subjects  is  thereafter  given  as  a  basis  for 
discussion. 

(1)  Hours  of  Work.- — The  proposal  of  a  50-hour  week  on  the 
one-break  day  system  was  defeated  when  voted  upon  in  May.  Some 
men  appear  to  have  thought  the  adoption  of  a  50-hour  week  would 
prejudice  the  introduction  of  a  48-hour  week  after  the  war.     The  firm 

84 


is  strongly  in  favour  of  a  •48-hour  week,  ])ut  in  regard  to  that  eannot 
act  without  reference  to  the  agreements  between  the  I'^ngineering 
Employers'  Federation  and  the  Trade  Unions. 

A  full  explanation  of  the  one-break  day  is  given  and  arguments  in 
its  favour  added.  This  section  ends :  "The  firm  has  not  had  any 
other  or  better  proposal  put  before  it  for  this  purpose,  and  therefore 
raises  the  question  again  for  reconsideration.  It  is  further  proposed 
that,  six  months  after  the  adoption  of  the  one-break,  a  referendum  by 
ballot  should  be  taken  as  to  whether  the  old  system  of  hours  should 
be  gone  back  to  or  not." 

(2)  Time-keeping.— "The  question  of  time-keeping  is  the  one  that 
has  gone  nearest  to  impairing  the  excellent  relations  with  its  employees 
that  the  firm  values  so  highly ;  but  it  is  felt  that  here  again  the  facts 
have  not  been  rightly  understood  by  everyone." 

There  follows  a  discussion  of  causes.  The  management  have  now 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  greatest  efifect  has  been  produced  by 
the  institution  of  an  "open  gate"  and  the  relaxation  of  the  official 
Works'  Rules. 

"The  exact  form  that  the  gate  rules  wall  finally  take  is  subject  to 
consideration,  and  is  much  influenced  by  the  concurrent  question  of  the 
one-break  day;  but,  in  its  old  form,  the  "open  gate"  has  been  tried 
and  found  wanting,  and,  one  way  or  another,  something  else  must  take 
its  place." 

(3)  Release  of  Diluted  Labour. — "The  firm  is  prepared  to  invite 
collaboration  from  the  proposed  Council,  or  sectional  Committees  rep- 
resenting the  individual  trades  concerned,  both  as  regards  the  selection 
of  suitable  operations  on  to  which  to  put  unskilled  labour,  and  as 
regards  the  individuals  to  be  released  for  skilled  work  elsewhere." 

(4)  Fixing  of  Piece-work  Prices. — In  order  to  facilitate  the 
fixing  of  prices  satisfactorily  to  employer  and  employee  it  is 
proposed : — 

"It  w^ould  be  one  of  the  functions  of  such  a  Council,  as  is  sug- 
gested in  this  memorandum,  to  set  up  an  organisation  whereby  reliable 
times  for  piece-work  operations  would  be  ascertained,  checked,  and 
counter-checked  by  both  parties.  This  organisation  would  prevent 
such  occurrences  as  a  recent  suggestion  of  50  minutes  for  a  particular 
new  operation.  A  trial  made  by  the  management  showed  that  six 
minutes  was  an  ample  allowance.  If  such  trials  were  made- by  a 
Joint  Committee  (or  in  their  presence)  prices  could  be  settled  tnore 
rapidly,  and  with  less  danger  of  unfairness,  or  discontent  on  either 
side,  afterwards." 

"The  same  organisation  could  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  making 
clear  to  w^hat  extent  a  job  becomes  a  new  one  by  some  alteration  in 
design,  material,  or  method  of  manufacture." 

85 


(5)  General  Rules  and  Regtilations.  —"Thtre  is  a  class  of  rules, 
offences  against  which  are  punishable  by  a  fine  of  2s.  6d.,  dismissal, 
or  a  prosecution  under  the  Munitions  Acts. 

None  of  these  penalties  is  a  convenient  one.  Fines  are  as  much 
disliked  by  the  firm  as  by  the  men ;  dismissal  entails  the  loss  of  services 
which  may  be  badly  needed;  and  prosecutions  entail  great  waste  of 
time  and  may  produce  more  evils  than  the  original  ones  they  are  meant 
to  cure. 

Many  of  these  oflfences  and  some  others  could  probably  be  dealt 
with  more  satisfactorily  by  such  a  Council  as  outlined  above.  Instances 
of  them  are  : — 

Clocking  in  too  soon,  fraudulent  clocking,  and  registering  another 
man's  time. 

Not  keeping  at  w^ork  till  knocking-off  time. 

Leaving  work  without  permission  of  foreman. 

Idling  in  the  works. 

Entering  or  leaving  the  works  otherwise  than  by  the  main 
entrance. 

Bringing  in  liquor. 

Cambling  in  the  works. 

Taking  part  in  disturbances,  using  abusive  language,  and  refusing 
to  obey  lawful  orders. 

All  the  above  are  offences  under  the  Works'  Rules,  permission 
to  post  which  has  been  given  by  the  Ministry  to  the  firm  as  a  Controlled 
Establishment.  They  have  hung  in  the  main  entrance  since  1915,  and 
are  still  in  force,  but  every  one  of  them  is  broken  from  time  to  time." 

(O)   A  Shipbuilding  Yard. 

The  present  number  of  employees  is  about  2.400.  of  whom  some 
200  are  women. 

The  system  in  operation  at  this  yard  (and  the  same  methods  apply 
at  the  firm's  engine  works)  is  particularly  interesting  in  view  of  the 
comparatively  long  time  during  which  it  has  been  w^orking,  and  in  view 
also  of  its  success  in  fostering  good  relations  between  the  firm  and  the 
men.  More  than  30  years  ago  an  elaborate  system  of  rules  for  the 
yard  were  drawn  up  by  the  firm  in  consultation  with  delegates  from 
the  trades,  conferences  between  members  of  the  firm,  officials  of  the 
firm  and  delegates  from  the  various  trades  in  the  yard,  being  held  for 
this  purpose  on  five  dates  in  1885  and  on  two  in  1886.  These  "Rules'' 
form  a  printed  booklet  of  36  pages,  and  each  employee  on  joining  the 
yard  for  the  first  time  can  be  furnished  with  a  copy.  In  an  address, 
delivered  by  one  of  the  late  senior  members  of  the  firm,  at  the  close 
of  one  of  the  conferences  (on  21st  January,  1885),  there  is  contained 
the  following  statement :  "I  think  I  am  right  in  saying  that  the  step 
taken  by  this  firm  in  asking  their  workmen  to  join  with  them  in  the 
preparation  of  the  rules  of  this  yard  is  a  new  step  in  the  history  of 
labour.     I  cannot  find,  from  anything  I  have  heard  or  read,  tliat  any 


firm  previous  to  my  own  firm  has  asked  the  men  in  their  employ  to 
join  with  them  in  the  preparation  of  the  rules  l)y  which  these  men  were 
to  be  governed."  The  revision  of  these  Yard  Rules  has  been  a  subject 
of  conference  at  various  dates  since  1886.  The  present  edition  of  the 
rules  is  divided  into  five  sections: — Section  I  is  sub-divided  into  (i) 
General,  (ii)  Decauville  Railway,  (iii)  Timekeeping  and  Piece-work, 
(iv)  Regarding  Apprentices,  (v)  Against  Accidents,  (vi)  Against  Dis- 
honesty, and  (vii)  Final.  Section  II  deals  with  the  admission  of  (i) 
Apprentices  to  Drawing  Office,  (ii)  Boys  as  Apprentice  Clerks,  (iii) 
Girls  as  Apprentices  in  Tracing  Departments,  (iv)  Girls  as  Apprentices 
in  the  Decorative  Department,  and  (v)  Girls  as  Apprentices  in  Uphol- 
stery and  Polishing  Departments.  Section  III  gives  the  rules  for  the 
guidance  of  the  Committee  of  Awards.  Section  IV  gives  the  rules 
referring  to  Subscriptions.  Section  V  gives  the  Fire  Brigade  Rules. 
There  is  a  separate  book  of  rules  for  the  Accident  Fund. 

Conferences  similar  to  those  of  1885-6  have  been  held  from  time 
to  time  since,  and  have  developed  into  a  Workers'  Committee.  The 
members  of  the  conference  at  first  represented  trades,  and  may  still 
do  so,  but  not  necessarily.  Each  department  chooses  one  dr  two 
representatives,  and  these  representatives  may  or  may  not  be  Trade 
Unionists  or  Shop  Stewards.* 

The  composition  of  the  Committee  to-day  is  as  follows: 

NO.    OF 

TRADES.  DELEGATES. 

Painters   1 

Engineers,  Cranemen,  &c 2 

Blacksmiths 2 

Joiners  (Upholsterers)    2 

Plumbers   1 

Tinsmiths 2 

Riveters  1 

Labourers 1 

Electricians   1 

Iron  Carpenters 1 

Wood  Carpenters 1 

Caulkers 1 

Drillers 1 

Fitters 2 

Foremen 2 

Drawing  Office 1 

Counting  House 1 

23 


*  The  majority  of  the  delegates  are  trade  unionists  and  official  yard  delegates 
for  their  unions,  though  not  elected  to  the  Committee  as  such. 

87 


The  above  is  the  composition  of  the  Committee  when  it  meets  the 
management  in  what  may  be  called  formal  meetings.  There  are,  how- 
ever, no  set  meetings,  and  in  addition  to  the  formal  meetings  much 
business  is  done  between  the  firm  and  the  Chairman  of  the  delegates ; 
and,  in  matters  affecting  a  particular  trade,  between  the  firm  and  the 
delegates  from  that  trade.  In  the  last  24  years  the  formal  meetings 
have  averaged  three  a  year,  but  in  the  last  three  years  there  have  been 
20  meetings,  or  an  average  of  seven  a  year. 

The  delegates  hold  shop  meetings  to  report  results  of  meetings 
with  the  management,  and  meet  the  management  again,  and  so  on  until 
agreement  is  reached. 

One  of  the  delegates  acts. as  Convenor  or  Chairman,  and  as  the 
link  between  the  delegates  and  the  management.  For  the  formal 
meetings  with  the  firm,  one  of  the  firm's  shorthand  clerks,  at  the  request 
of  the  delegates,  acts  as  Secretary. 

The  subjects  dealt  with,  in  what  have  been  called  "formal  meet- 
ings." cover  a  wide  range : — they  have  included  the  revision  of  Yard 
Rules  originally  made  in  conference;  unemployment  questions — e.g.. 
the  purchase  by  the  firm  of  an  old  vessel  so  as  to  employ  idle  men,  and 
subscriptions  to  an  unemployed  fund ;  timekeeping — men  leaving  their 
work  before  the  horn  blows ;  arrangements  for  paying  the  men — e.g., 
earlier  payment  for  big  squads  where  division  has  afterwards  to  be 
made  among  the  members  of  the  squad ;  arrangement  of  holidays ;  sub- 
scriptions to  various  funds  and  charities,  including  joint  funds  for 
augmenting  Government  allowances  to  soldiers'  dependents;  provision 
of  canteens  and  of  supply  of  carried  food  warming  appliances,  and  of 
ambulance  transport  for  injured  men;  distribution  of  coal  supplied 
from  firm's  yard  during  1912  coal  strike  to  inhabitants  of  town,  (this 
was  worked  by  delegates  themselves  under  chairmanship  of  one  of  the 
partners)  ;  subscriptions  to  War  Loan;  and  dilution  of  labour. 

When  the  firm  joined  the  Employers'  Association,  about  1906,  the 
fact  was  formally  put  before  the  men's  delegates. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  list  covers  not  only  general  industrial  ques- 
tions, shop  grievances,  &c.,  but  also  questions  of  w-elfare.  (There  is  a 
Welfare  Supervisor  for  the  some  200  women  employees,  and  a  boy's 
Welfare  Supervisor  for  all  the  apprentices  and  young  lads.  He  has 
formed  a  Cadet  Corps  mostly  from  amongst  them.) 

All  the  questions  discussed  are  general  questions,  since,  as  has 
already  been  remarked,  the  questions  of  a  particular  trade  are  arranged 
between  the  firm  and  the  representatives  of  that  trade.  In  these  latter 
questions  the  failure  to  agree  would  mean  that  the  matter  became  one 
between  the  firm  and  the  particular  Trade  Union  concerned. 

The  Awards  Scheme. — The  firm  have  had  in  operation  since  1880 
an  Awards  Scheme,  under  which  any  w^orker  (exclusive  of  head 
foremen,  officials  of  the  Committee  of  Awards,  and  heads  of  depart- 
ment) may  claim  an  award  for  improvements  and  inventions.     The 


scheme  was  introduced  by  one  of  the  late  senior  members  of  the  tirm. 
The  rules  for  the  guidance  of  the  Committee  of  Awards  from  Section 
III  of  the  Yard  Rules.  The  Committee  consists  of  an  outside  and 
independent  person  as  President,  the  Manager  of  the  Yard,  and  the 
Manager  or  Chief  Draughtsman  of  the  Engine  Works,  with  a  clerk 
from  the  counting  house  as  secretary.  The  rules  are  elaborate,  and 
designed,  among  other  things,  to  do  justice  as  between  different  claim- 
ants. The  average  number  of  claims  is  stated  to  fluctuate  very  much 
from  year  to  year.  In  certain  cases  where  patents  have  been  secured, 
the  amounts  received  by  individuals  have  run  into  hundreds  of  pounds. 
In  the  case  of  patents,  the  inventors  usually  ask  that  one  of  the  firm 
should  be  joined  with  them,  and  share  partly  in  the  gains.  The  reply 
of  one  inventor,  when  he  was  asked  why  this  was  so,  is  compounded 
of  Scotch  caution  and  good  feeling  and  trust.  It  was:  "Naebody 
kens  my  name,  but  a'body  kens  yours." 

The  Accident  Fund  Society. — This  Society,  established  43  years 
ago  by  mutual  agreement  between  the  firm  and  their  workmen,  was, 
in  1897,  used  as  a  basis  for  contracting  out  of  the  Employers'  Liability 
Act  of  1880,  and  the  Workmen's  Compensation  Act  of  1897,  and  has 
since  been  amended  to  conform  to  the  Act  of  1906.  It  is  governed  by 
a  Joint  Committee  of  22  managers,  with  an  independent  Chairman. 
Eleven  are  chosen  by  the  workmen  and  eleven  chosen  by  the  firm ;  the 
latter  comprise  four  partners,  one  manager,  and  six  foremen  or  mem- 
bers of  office  stafif.  Four  of  the  works  delegates  are  also  managers 
of  the  Accident  Fund — two  of  these  being  trade  delegates  and  the 
other  two  being  the  foremen  delegates.  The  funds  are  provided  in 
two  ways.  Fund  No.  1,  to  meet  the  legal  provisions  of  compensation 
imposed  by  the  Acts,  is  provided  entirely  by  the  firm.  Fund  No.  2, 
which  provides  extra  benefits,  such  as  solatium  for  loss  of  minor  por- 
tions of  the  body,  for  which  no  lump  sum  compensation  could  be 
demanded  under  the  Acts,  is  provided  from  the  contributions  of  the 
members  and  the  payments  of  the  firm,  and,  in  addition,  from  the  fines 
imposed  in  accordance  with  the  Yard  Rules.  The  particular  interest 
of  these  fines,  which  like  the  other  features  of  the  rules  are  carefully 
detailed,  is,  that  not  only  are  they  paid  into  the  Accident  Fund,  and 
so,  though  taken  from  the  individual,  returned  to  the  work  people  as  a 
whole,  but,  in  addition,  in  each  case  of  a  fine  the  firm  pays  an  equivalent 
amount  into  the  fund.  The  firm  in  fining  an  individual  fines  itself  to 
the  same  extent,  and  the  double  fine  goes  to  the  Accident  Fund. 

The  firm  lay  great  stress  upon  the  fact  that  this  system  of  yard 
delegates  has  gradually  developed  on  voluntary  lines  as  the  need  for 
it  was  felt.  In  all  cases  the  delegates  simply  ask  to  see  the  manage- 
ment when  they  so  desire,  and  may  meet  several  or  only  one  of  the 
managers,  as  the  case  may  be.  (There  is  no  question  of  equality  of 
numbers  of  firm's  representatives  and  men's,  except  in  the  Accident 
Fund.) 

89 


(P)   Parkgate  Works  Joint  Trades  Committee. 

I. 

RULES  FOR  work's  COMMITTEE. 

1.  That  this  organisation  be  called  "The  Parkgate  Works  Joint 
Trades  Committee." 

2.  That  the  objects  of  the  Committee  are: — 

(a)  To  strengthen  Trade  Union  organisation  in  the  works. 

(b)  To  deal  with  general  questions  affecting  the  welfare  of  all 

sections  in  the  works. 

(c)  To  give  assistance  to  branches  in  sectional  disputes  where 

the  branches  fail  to  arrive  at  a  settlement  with  the  firm. 

(d)  To  keep  a  watchful  eye  on  representation  on  local  bodies, 

and  to  see  that  the  workmen  employed  by  the  firm  are 
not  overlooked. 

(e)  To  do  whatsoever  it  can  to  promote  a  closer  union  of  the 

different  trades  represented  in  the  works. 

3.  That  branches  be  allowed  representation  as  follows : — * 
Membership  of  50 — one  delegate. 

Membership  over  50 — two  delegates. 

4.  That  the  branches  be  asked  to  appoint  alternative  delegates, 
and  forward  their  names  to  the  Secretary  together  with  the  names  of 
the  delegates  appointed. 

5.  Any  body  of  trade  unionists  working  in  any  department,  but 
whose  branch  is  out  of  the  works,  may  have  representation  on  the 
same  basis  as  branches. 

6.  The  President  and  Secretary  shall  be  empowered  to  call  a 
meeting  of  the  Committee  to  deal  with  any  matter  which  arises,  or  may 
arise,  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  branches. 

7.  Any  delegate  or  branch  may  have  a  meeting  called  by  giving 
notice  to  the  Secretary,  stating  the  business  they  wish  to  bring  before 
the  Committee. 

8.  That  a  delegation  fee  of  one  shilling  per  delegate  per  year  be 
paid  to  the  Committee. 

9.  That  where  sectional  disputes  are  dealt  with  by  Committee, 
deputations  to  the  Management  shall  consist  of  two  representatives  of 
the  Committee  and  one  from  the  section  affected. 

10.  That  the  Secretary  be  ex  officio  member  of  the  Committee. 

11.  No  person  allowed  to  sit  on  the  Committee  unless  authorised 
to  do  so  by  his  branch  and  certified  by  the  branch  secretary. 

12. J  That  in  the  event  of  any  claim  being  made  or  dispute  which 
affects  the  interests  of  more  than  one  section  of  the  works,  such  cases 
shall  be  dealt  with  by  the  Trade  Unions  concerned  and  the  Joint  Trades 
Committee. 


*  With,    in    addition,    the    Secretary    of    each    branch,    if    employed    in    the 
works,  ex  officio. 

t  Included   recently. 

90 


II. 

Fourteen  trade  union  branches  arc  represented  on  the  Committee. 
Seven  of  the  fourteen  have  no  members  employed  outside  the  Parkgatc 
Works.  The  seven  are: — Four  branches  of  the  Iron  and  Steel  Trades 
Confederation,  and  a  branch  each  of  the  Blastfurnacemen,  the  Engine- 
men  and  Cranemen,  and  the  General  Labourers.  Together  these  seven 
branches  represent  about  1,600  persons  in  the  works.  Six  of  them 
have  three  representatives  on  the  Committee ;  in  each  case  the  secretary 
of  the  branch  is  one  of  the  representatives.  The  seven  trade  union 
branches  having  only  part  of  their  membership  within  the  works  are : — 
The  Bricklayers,  the  Amalgamated  Society  of  Engineers,  the  Black- 
smiths, the  Moulders,  the  Boilermakers,  the  Roll  Turners  and  the 
Carpenters  and  Joiners ;  together  these  seven  branches  represent  about 
200  persons  in  the  works.  Four  of  them  have  two  representatives, 
including  the  secretary  in  each  case,  and  three  one  representative  on 
the  Committee.  Altogether,  therefore,  the  Committee  consists  of  31 
persons  including  the  secretaries  of  11  of  the  24  branches. 

Rule  4,  relating  to  alternative  delegates,  is  stated  to  be  necessary 
because  some  men,  for  example  the  first  hand  at  a  smelting  furnace, 
cannot  leave  their  work  at  certain  times. 

The  Committee  was  formed  in  January,  1916.  An  attempt  to 
form -a  Committee  had  been  made  in  1913,  but,  owing  to  the  slight 
support  given  to  it,  this  Committee  lasted  for  a  few  months  only.  The 
influences  which  produced  the  present  Committee  were  the  recognition 
of  common  needs  and  the  desire  for  harmony  (see  Rule  2).  The  par- 
ticular incident  from  which  its  inception  took  place  was  a  meeting 
called  to  nominate  a  representative  from  the  workpeople  to  the  local 
military  tribunal. 

Among  the  subjects  which  the  Committee  has  discussed  are 
included  the  following: — Dilution,  gambling  in  the  works,  the  recent 
12^  per  cent  increase  to  time  workers,  extension  of  this  to  part-time 
and  part-bonus  workers,  the  provision  of  canteens,  works  discipline, 
participation  in  local  affairs  such  as  elections,  promotion  of  workpeople, 
&c.  In  regard  to  gambling,  the  Committee  decided  that  the  practice 
.should  be  abolished  absolutely;  this  meant  that  a  "raffle"  which  had 
been  held  for  the  past  seven  years  was  abolished  along  with  the  other 
forms  of  gambling. 

Dilution  Committee. — This  is  a  sub-committee  of  the  Works  Com- 
mittee chosen  so  as  to  give  representation  to  all  the  departments  most 
vitally  affected  by  dilution.  Its  membership  is  made  up  of — 3  from 
the  Confederation  (1  each  from  the  smelters,  the  millmen  and  the 
stocktakers  and  chemists),  1  from  the  engineers,  1  from  the  brick- 
layers and  1  from  the  general  labourers,  with  a  blast-furnaceman  as 
president  and  the  secretary  of  the  Works  Committee  as  secretary. 
The  secretary  has  no  vote  and  the  president  a  casting  vote  only. 

91 


(Q)   Boot  Manufacturers. 
The  Company  employs  about   1,000  workpeople,  of  whom  two- 
thirds  are  men  and  boys,  and  one-third  women  and  girls. 

1.  Origin. — The  Works  Committee  was  established  about  fifteen 
months  ago,  on  the  initiative  of  the  management.  The  object  in  view 
was  to  afford  more  convenient  machinery  by  which  the  employees  could 
confer  with  the  management,  and  tnce  versa. 

2.  Constitution.— The  Committee  is  an  Employees'  Committee,  and 
consists  of  10  representatives,  based  on  several  departments  into  which 
the  establishment  is  divided.  The  representatives  are  distributed  as 
follows : — 

1.  Clicking  Department 2 

2.  Machine  Room  Department 2 

3.  Rough  Stuff  Department 1 

4.  Making  Department 2 

5.  Finishing  Department   2 

6.  Boxing  Department   1 

The  two  representatives  from  the  machine  room  department  are 
women.  The  representative  from  the  boxing  department  is  a  woman. 
The  other  representatives  are  men. 

The  members  of  the  Committee  are  elected  for  twelve  months. 
Thy  are  elected  by  the  employees  at  a  meeting  of  the  employees  con- 
vened by  the  Union  for  the  transaction  of  Union  business. 

The  constitution  of  the  Committee  has  not  been  reduced  to  writing. 

3.  Functions  of  the  Committee. — No  limits  have  been  set  to  the 
matters  with  which  the  Committee  may  deal.  It  is  competent  for  the 
Committee  to  make  representation  to  the  management  on  any  ques- 
tion relating  to  the  internal  organisation  of  the  establishment. 

A  special  function  performed  by  the  Committee  is  the  preliminary 
discussion  of  piecework  rates  with  the  management,  prior  to  such 
rates  being  presented  to  the  Conciliation  Board  for  the  Board's  sanction. 
The  Committee  has  been  found  especially  useful  for  the  transaction  of 
this  business.  In  many  cases  it  has  resulted  in  agreed  rates  being  sub- 
mitted for  the  formal  sanction  of  the  Board.  This  has  been  particu- 
larly the  cae  in  reference  to  fixing  rates  for  new  machines. 

4.  Procedure. — No  regular  times  are  fixed  for  the  Committee  to 
meet.  Meetings  with  the  management  are  arranged  on  request  by 
either  the  Committee  to  the  management  or  the  management  to  the 
Committee.  The  management  usually  give  one  day's  notice  to  the 
Committee  when  they  desire  a  meeting.  Meetings  are  held  in  the  firm's 
time,  and  any  loss  of  wages  is  made  up.  Meetings  do  not  usually  last 
beyond  an  hour. 

5.  Relations  zvith  Trade  Unions. — It  is  the  policy  of  the  Union 
that  all  disputes  or  complaints  shall  be  settled,  as  far  as  possible,  in 
the  shop,  without  reference  to  the  Union  officials. 

92 


i 


The  Union  cordially  approves  of  the  Committee,  and  the  repre- 
sentatives on  the  Committee  are  appointed  at  a  meeting  for  the  trans- 
action of  Union  business,  as  already  stated. 

Several  of  the  Shop  Stewards  are  members  of  the  Committee,  but 
are  elected  as  ordinary  representatives,  and  do  not  sit  bv  virtue  of  tlicir 
office  as  stewards. 

When  matters  of  importance  are  under  discussion  a  representa- 
tive of  the  Union  attends  the  meetings  of  the  management  and  the 
Committee. 

6.  General. — In  view  of  tlie  high  degree  of  organisation  ]x>th 
among  the  employers  and  operatives  in  the  boot  and  shoe  industry,  and 
the  efficient  working  of  the  Conciliation  Board  machinery,  it  is  con- 
sidered essential  for  the  successful  working  of  a  Committee  such  as 
that  above  described  that  great  care  should  be  taken  to  see  that  the 
Committee  does  not  usurp  functions  proper  to  the  Conciliation  Board. 
Special  stress  is  laid  upon  the  useful  work  done  by  the  Committee  in 
arriving  informally  at  agreed  piecework  rates  prior  to  their  being  sub- 
mitted to  the  Conciliation  Board  for  formal  approval. 

(R)   Messrs.    Reuben    Gaunt   and    Sons,    Limited,    Spinners    and 
Manufacturers,  Parsley,  Yorkshire. 

The  firm  has  adopted  Works  Committees  at  their  Worsted  Spin- 
ning Mill. 

The  firm  are  pioneers  in  the  application  of  Welfare  Schemes  in 
their  industry. 

The  following  details,  which  the  firm  has  kindly  supplied,  refer 
to  the  Spinning  Section  at  Springfield,  where  combing  as  well  as 
spinning  is  carried  on. 

The  number  of  workers  engaged  is  400,  in  the  proportion  of  two- 
thirds  women  and  girls  and  one-third  men  and  boys. 

The  first  Committee  to  be  formed  was  the  Factory  Council. 

This  Council  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  is 
composed  of  two  directors  and  the  heads  of  the  respective  departments 
in  the  works.  All  the  nine  members  are  specialists  in  their  various 
spheres.  The  Factory  Council  acts  in  an  advisory  capacity  in  regard 
to  general  questions  of  finance,  ways  and  means,  and  expenditure,  but 
in  regard  to  inter-departmental  questions  it  is  competent  to  act  both 
in  an  advisory  and  in  an  executive  capacity. 

The  function  of  the  Factory  Council  is  to  consider,  unify  and 
consolidate  the  rules  and  principles  of  management. 

The  Factory  Council  makes  use  of  the  collective  experience  of  its 
members  and,  in  consequence,  the  business  is  more  efficiently  managed. 

Meetings  are  held  weekly,  on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same  hour. 

The  Chairman  is  one  of  the  Managing  Directors,  and  is  responsible 
for  explaining  the  business  policy  to  the  Council ;  he  is  also  the  medium 
through  which  the  recommendations  of  the  Council  reach  the  Board 
of  Directors. 

93 


When  Factory  Council  meetings  were  first  inaugurated,  it  was  not 
easy  for  either  directors  or  heads  of  departments  to  table  their  informa- 
tion freely,  neither  did  either  party  always  appreciate  a  frank  review 
on  matters  relating  to  their  department,  but  in  course  of  time  (the 
Factory  Council  has  been  established  eight  years)  confidence  and  a 
broader  outlook  have  obtained,  and  members  now  pool  their  experi- 
ences quite  freely.  In  this  way  members  are  kept  in  touch  with  all 
activities  and,  instead  of  having  a  knowledge  limited  to  their  own 
department,  they  gain  an  insight  into  the  whole  concern.  This  reticence 
on  the  part  of  both  Directors  and  Representatives  may  be  a  real 
stumbling  block — it  should  be  frankly  recognised  as  a  difficulty  and 
means  should  be  found  by  the  management  of  overcoming  it.  The 
Manager  or  Director,  who  is  used  to  handling  big  propositions  and  act- 
ing independently,  may  be  fretted  by  the  narrower  view  of  the  man 
who  can  see  no  farther  than  his  own  department,  but  restraint  must 
be  exercised. 

If  the  Conferences  are  to  be  of  any  use,  those  attending  them 
must  be  able  to  speak  freely  and  be  assured  of  a  sympathetic  hearing. 
Experience  proves  that  time  and  patience  will  overcome  this  difficulty. 
The  time,  both  of  the  Manager  and  the  Representative,  is  well  spent, 
they  are  coming  into  closer  contact  with  each  other  than  heretofore, 
and  both  are  gaining  knowledge  which  wall  eventually  lead  to  increased 
confidence  and  efficiency. 

The  establishing  of  such  a  committee  as  the  Factory  Council  does 
not  fundamentally  alter  the  general  scheme  and  management  of  indus- 
try. The  function  of  the  management  is  still  controlled  by  the  manag- 
ing stafif,  but  experience  has  proved  that  a  Council  with  consultative 
and  advisory  powers  makes  for  efficiency  and  has  a  distinct  value  in 
the  business  organisation. 

The  concept  of  leadership  is  "Support  by  the  Staff  rather  than 
Control  of  the  Staff." 

CONFERENCE  OF  WORKS'  REPRESENTATIVES. 

General  Remarks. — In  January,  1917,  arrangements  were  made  to 
hold  a  series  of  meetings  with  the  various  departments  for  the  purpose 
of  showing  the  value  of  co-operation  and  of  suggesting  that  all  matters 
relating  to  wages  and  working  conditions  should  in  future  be  dealt  with 
by  Conference. 

At  these  little  meetings  it  was  pointed  out  that  the  old  way  had 
been  for  changes  to  be  made  by  the  management  without  any  active 
co-operation  from  the  workers. 

Changes  were  made  and  had  to  be  accepted,  but  under  the  new 
arrangement  the  co-operation  of  the  workers  would  be  asked  for  in  the 
belief  that  they  would  respond,  and  the  result  would  be  increased 
confidence. 

As  a  result  of  these  meetings  it  was  unanimously  decided  to  estab- 
lish Works  Committees. 

94 


The  election  of  representatives  was  left  entirely  in  tlie  lian(l>  of 
the  workers.  The  importance,  however,  of  electing  representatives 
who  had  their  confidence  was  pointed  out.  Jt  was  suggested  that 
workers  who  had  been  at  the  mill  some  time  and  believed  in  our  ideals 
would  be  valuable,  but  the  greatest  stress  was  laid  upon  confidence. 

Representatives  must  have  the  confidence  and  loyalty  of  their 
fellow-workers. 

Machinery  of  Conference. — Each  department  elects  three  repre- 
sentatives by  ballot.  The  firm  nominates  the  Managing  Director,  the 
Departmental  Manager  and  the  foreman  to  represent  the  Manage- 
ment. Whenever  Conferences  are  called  to  adjust  differences,  two 
persons  from  outside  the  Department  are  co-opted  to  act  as  neutral 
representatives.  The  duties  of  the  Departmental  Committees  are 
clearly  defined  and  meetings  are  only  called  when  questions  with  which 
they  have  to  deal  are  involved. 

The  co-opted  members  are  elected  for  18  months,  one  retiring 
every  six  months.     The  retiring  member  is  eligible  for  re-election. 

Whilst  the  constitution  has  been  kept  as  simple  as  possible  it  was 
felt  that  the  adoption  of  certain  principles  by  all  the  Works  Committees 
would  secure  uniformity  and  be  a  guide  to  Conference  members,  and 
with  this  in  view  the  following  rules  were  dravrn  up  and  accepted  in 
turn  by  the  different  Committees  : — 

1.  There  shall  be  a  list  of  minimum  wages  established  by  Confer- 
ence for  all  machine-minders. 

2.  Promotion  and  pay  shall  be  as  nearly  as  possible  in  proportion 
to  merit. 

3.  A  worker  shall  receive  extra  pay  for  extra  work. 

4.  No  important  change  in  methods,  rates,  or  service,  shall  be 
made  by  either  party  without  a  full  explanation  of  its  reason  and 
purpose. 

5.  The  Springfield  Mills  Ideals  were  adopted  as  follows : — 
The  Major  Ideal  Being — 

To  produce  better  yarns  than  have  ever  been  produced  in  the 
past  by  anyone. 
The  Minor  Ideals  Are — 

To  produce  "Emperor"  yarns  under  healthy  and  happy  con- 
ditions, honestly,  efficiently  and  profitably. 

To  educate  our  workers  and  ourselves  to  become  highly  skilled 
in  order  that  we  may  earn  a  rep\itation  for  the  highest 
grade  of  work,  and  as  a  result  be  able  to  pay  the  highest 
rate  of  wages. 

To  secure  continuity  of  employment  by  supplying  high-grade 
yarns  and  by  giving  good  service. 

To  treat  customers  with  absolute  fairness  in  order  that  we 
may  gain  and  keep  their  confidence. 
95 


6.  So  far  as  possible  Conferences  shall  be  held  during  ordinary 
working  hours,  and  attendance  at  such  Conferences  shall  be  paid  for  at 
the  appropriate  rate. 

7.  Applications  for  Conferences  shall  be  made  to  the  Board  of 
Directors  by  the  representatives  of  the  workers  through  the  Foreman 
and  through  the  Manager  of  the  department. 

8.  Differences  shall  be  adjusted  by"  a  Committee  of  eight — three 
from  the  workers,  three  from  the  Company  and  two  chosen  by  these 
two  parties,  one  of  the  latter  to  be  appointed  Chairman  of  the  meeting. 

9.  The  Conference  shall  decide  the  date  from  which  any  altera- 
tion in  pay  shall  become  operative.  It  shall  also  decide  the  minimum 
length  of  time  any  agreement  arrived  at  shall  be  binding  upon  the 
parties  thereto,  subject  to  the  proviso  that  whenever  working  condi- 
tions are  changed  either  the  employees  or  the  Company  shall  have  the 
right  to  obtain  a  revision  of  the  rates  of  pay.  • 

10.  It  was  resolved  that  the  present  representatives  should  all 
three  serve  for  the  whole  of  the  present  year;  at  the  end  of  the  pres- 
ent year  the  one  having  received  the  least  number  of  votes  should 
retire,  but  should  be  eligible  for  re-election;  at  the  end  of  18  months 
the  representative  having  received  the  second  lowest  number  of  votes 
should  retire  and  be  eligible  for  re-election ;  at  the  end  of  two  years 
the  representative  having  received  the  greatest  number  of  votes  should 
retire  but  be  eligible  for  re-election. 

11.  It  is  understood  and  agreed  that  it  is  the  business  of  the 
management,  and  is  not  the  business  of  the  Conference,  to  deal  with — 

(a)  The  allocation  of  work  to  particular  sets  of  drawing. 

(b)  The  allocation  of  minders  to  particular  machines. 

Our  Works  Committees  have  only  been  in  existence  a  year,  but  so 
far  they  have  worked  quite  satisfactorily.  We  realise  that  time  will  be 
needed  for  representatives,  who  are  unaccustomed  to  business  meet- 
ings, to  express  their  opinions  and  to  voice  the  wishes  of  their 
co-workers,  but  we  look  upon  the  scheme  as  an  educational  venture  and 
we  are  prepared  to  wait  patiently  and  overcome  the  difficulties  that 
beset  us. 

Democratic  control  of  industry  can  only  come  when  democracy  has 
knowledge  and  wisdom  to  assume  control.  Rightly  used,  Conferences 
will  provide  the  necessary  experience  and  education  for  greater 
responsibility,  which  will  be  equally  beneficial  to  all  concerned. 

In  conclusion,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  two  principal 
factors  in  the  organisation  of  human  beings  are  The  Support  and 
The  Machinery.  In  successful  co-operation  the  Spirit  is  more  potent 
than  the  Machinery.  Ment.\l  Attitude  is  of  Greater  Consequence 
than  Mental  Capacity.  Notwithstanding  this  the  machinery  is 
usually  the  only  factor  which  is  accepted  consciously  and  considered 
in  a  scientific  way.  This  is  unfortunate,  for  the  thing  that  really 
counts  is  atmosphere;  the  right  spirit  must  prevail  before  the  machinery 

96 


of  organisation  can  work  properly.  The  most  valuahle  asset  of  an 
employee  is — his  Spirit^that  intanjjil)le  part  of  his  j^ersonality  which 
cannot  be  bought  with  so  cheap  a  thing  as  money.  It  must  be  won. 
The  royal  road  and  the  only  road  to  capture  a  man's  spirit  is  to 
win  his  Confidence  and  nothing  but  integrity  of  purpose  and  sincerity 
of  heart  can  do  this.  There  is  no  field  of  action  in  which  insincerity 
is  so  futile  as  in  the  handling  of  workmen.  The  employer  who  believes 
in  the  principle  that 

"Confidence  is  the  Basis  of  All  Permanent  Relationshii-.^" 
and  works  accordingly,  is  the  man  who  will  make  his  Works  Commit- 
tees a  helpful  force  in  his  organisation. 

Gerald  R.  Gaunt. 
2nd  February,  1918. 

Note. — Mr.  Gaunt  will  be  glad  to  supply  fuller  detailed  informa- 
tion to  anyone  who  is  interested  in  the  matter. 

(S)  Fox  Brothers  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Wellington,  Somerset  (and  Chip- 
ping Norton). 
The  Wellington  establishment  is  one  of  the  oldest  woollen  and 
worsted  manufacturing  businesses  in  the  country,  going  back  to  the 
17th  century.  For  nearly  150  years  it  has  been  controlled  by  mem- 
bers of  the  one  family,  up  to  1896  as  partners  and  since  then  as  direc- 
tors. Several  generations  of  the  families  of  many  of  the  present 
employees  have  worked  in  the  mills.  The  conditions  therefore  are 
somewhat  exceptional.*  The  present  number  of  employees  is 
about  1,400. 

The  Works  Committee  was  instituted  in  February  1917  on  the 
suggestion  of  the  Directors,  as  a  means  to  more  harmonious  working 
of  the  business.  Each  department  elects  its  representatives,  roughly 
in  proportion  to  the  numbers  of  men  and  women  employed ;  no  one  is 
eligible  for  membership  of  the  Committee  unless  he  (or  she)  has  been 
at  least  five  years  in  the  employment  of  the  firm;  the  right  to  vote  is 
confined  to  employees  of  18  years  of  age  and  over.  The  composition 
of  the  Committee  is  as  follows : — 

number  of  number  of 

department.  employees,     representatives. 

Wool  Sorters.  &c 60  2 

Worsted  Spinning   212  4 

Woollen  Spinning    145  3 

Weaving 591  10 

Finishing 119  2 

Dyeing 39  2 

Washhouse    131  3 

Mechanics 64  2 

2_8^ 

*  A  profit-sharing  scheme  has  been  in  existence  since  1886.     Under  it  some 
690  employees  have   iSO.OOO  invested  in   the  company. 

97 


The  Committee  meets  the  Directors  and  the  General  Manager  once 
a  month.  Loss  of  time  is  paid  for.  Any  question  afifecting  the  gen- 
eral welfare  of  the  workers  or  the  business  can  be  discussed.  Ques- 
tions of  discipline  or  wage  questions  affecting  individuals  or  depart- 
ments must  in  the  first  place  come  before  the  foreman  of  the  depart- 
ment concerned  and  then,  if  unsettled,  before  the  Manager  or  Manag- 
ing Director;  if  the  question  is  still  not  satisfactorily  settled  it  can  be 
referred  to  the  Committee  and  the  Directors  as  the  final  court  of  appeal. 
The  object  of  this  procedure  is  to  prevent  the  undermining  of  the 
authority  of  the  management  and  waste  of  time  upon  the  discussion 
of  details. 

Much  of  the  discussion  between  the  Committee  and  the  Directors 
has  been  of  an  educational  character.  The  Directors  have  explained 
some  of  the  principles  underlying  the  administration  of  a  large  busi- 
ness— the  effect  of  output  upon  standing  charges  and  wages,  and  the 
like;  suggestions  for  the  more  economical  running  of  the  business  are 
encouraged.  In  the  firm's  opinion  it  is  essential  to  the  success  of  a 
Works  Committee  that  the  Directors  take  the  workpeople  into  their 
confidence;  the  workpeople  must  be  made  to  realise  that  they  can  help 
the  administration  and  must  be  asked  and  given  the  opportunity 
to  help. 

The  great  advantage  secured  by  the  existence  of  the  Committee  is 
claimed  to  be  this :  that  by  a  thorough  explanation  to  the  members  of 
any  new  departure  in  the  internal  administration  of  the  business  mis- 
understandings are  avoided  and  the  workpeople  realise  the  real  object 
of  such  departures.  Another  advantage  is  that  the  Committee  provides 
a  safety-valve ;  machinery  is  set  up  by  which  any  grievance  may  reach 
the  Directors,  and  this  removes  the  suspicion  that  complaints  are  sup- 
pressed by  the  management. 

The  Committee  also  are  encouraged  to  make  suggestions  as  to 
works  amenities  such  as  improvement  in  ventilation.  Questions  of 
holidays  and  war  savings  schemes  have  been  dicussed  and  sub-commit- 
tees have  been  appointed  to  deal  with  such  matters  as  allotments  and 
war  charities. 

The  Committee  express  their  appreciation  of  the  spirit  in  which 
the  Directors  have  met  them.  Both  sides  are  pleased  with  the  working 
of  the  system  in  its  experimental  stage  and  expect  it  to  develop  its 
activities. 

The  great  majority  of  the  workpeople  are  not  members  of  any 
tmion ;  a  small  minority  are  organised  in  a  general  labourers'  union. 
The  difficulties  of  connecting  the  Works  Committee  with  trade  union- 
ism as  seen  by  the  management  are  two — the  small  minority  in  any 
union,  and  the  fact  that  the  particular  union  has  nothing  in  common 
with  the  industry;  if  Works  Committees  are  to  be  linked  up  with  indus- 
trial councils,  which  on  the  workpeople's  side  are   formed  from  the 

98 


trade  unions,  some  way  must  be  found  for  isolated  establishments  to  be 
joined  up  to  the  proper  unions.  Here  it  may  be  noted  that  at  the  end 
of  November  a  Works  Committee  was  formed,  on  the  same  lines  as 
that  at  Wellington,  at  another  woollen  mill  belonging  to  the  same  firm, 
at  Chipping  Norton.  In  this  case  the  workpeople  are  organised  and 
the  ofificial  of  the  union  took  part  in  the  formation  of  the  Committee. 
There  are  some  250  workpeople  in  the  establishment  and  12  members 
on  the  Committee. 

In  addition  to  the  Works  Committee  at  the  Wellington  establish- 
ment there  is  also  a  Management  Committee.  The  two  are  kept  sep- 
arate for  the  reason  that  the  workpeople  speak  with  greater  freedom 
in  the  absence  of  their  foremen. 

(T)     ROWNTREE  AND  Co.,  LtD.,  ThE  CoCOA  W^ORKS,  YoRK  MEMORAN- 
DUM TO  THE  Employees  in  the  Almond  Pa.=;te  Department. 

The  Cocoa  W'orks,  York. 

1st  September,  1916. 
{Revised  ist  February,  1917). 

Works'  Councils. 
For  some  time  past  the  Directors  have  felt  that  it  might  be  of  great 
service  to  the  Manager  and  Overlookers  of  a  Department,  as  well  as  to 
the   Employees,  if   a   Council   representing  the   Management  and  the 
Workers  were  formed,  in  each  Department,  for  the  full  and  free  dis- 
cussion of  all  matters  affecting  the  work  of  the  Department,  such  as : — 
(a)   The  comfort  and  well-being  of  the  employees,  so  far  as 
these   depend   upon   wages,   hours   and   conditions   of 
work.  &c.,  and 
(h)   The  general  efificiency  of  the  Department  which  depends 
upon  such  things  as  time-keeping,  discipline,  cleanli- 
ness,   economy    in    the    use    of    materials,    and    upon 
method  and  output. 
The    Directors    believe    that    through    a    Departmental    Council, 
worked  in  the  right  spirit,  the  employees  would  feel  themselves  to  have 
a   real   share   in  the   administration   of   the   Department,  whilst  their 
co-operation  would  be  heartily  welcomed  by  the  Management. 

As  showing  what  is  in  the  minds  of  the  Directors,  the  following 
matters  are  set  down  as  amongst  those  which  might,  very  properly, 
be  discussed  at  Departmental  Council  ^Meetings : — 

(1)  The  criticism  of  any  Piece  \\'ages  not  thought  to  be  fair 
or  adequate,  and  the  consideration  of  suggestions  for  adju.stment. 

(2)  The  consideration  of  conditions  and  hours  of  work  in 
the  Department. 

(3)  The    consideration    of    department.al    organisation    and 
production. 

(4)  Rules  and  discipline. 

99 


Owing  to  the  special  difficulties  of  the  time,  with  so  many  regular 
workers  away,  it  is  not  thought  advisable  just  now  to  institute  these 
Departmental  Councils  over  the  Works  generally,  but,  as  an  experi- 
ment, it  has  been  decided  by  the  Directors,  with  the  full  concurrence 
of  Mr.  G.  T.  Lee,  to  form  a  Council  in  the  Almond  Paste  Department. 
It  is  hoped,  however,  that  although  started  as  an  experiment,  it  may 
prove  to  be  of  permanent  value  to  Workers  and  Management  alike,  and 
that  when  its  value  has  been  shown,  and  the  time  is  opportune,  it  may 
be  possible  to  extend  the  scheme  to  other  Departments.  If  this  should 
come  about,  the  institution  of  a  General  Works'  Council,  linking  all 
Departments,  would  naturally  follow. 

The  work  both  of  the  men  and  women  in  most  of  the  Departments 
of  the  Factory  is  divisible  into  certain  well  defined  Sections.  In  order 
that  each  Section  may  have  the  fullest  opportunity  of  freely  discussing 
with  the  Management  matters  affecting  its  particular  work,  it  is  thought 
that  in  addition  to  a  Departmental  Council,  Sub — or  Sectional — Coun- 
cils will  be  necessary. 

The  constitution  of  such  Sectional  Councils,  as  well  as  of  the 
Departmental  Council,  is  given  below. 

Sectional  Councils. 

The  number  of  delegates  for  each  Sectional  Council  will  be  fixed 
on  the  basis  of  one  delegate  for  every  twelve  workers  (of  whatever 
age(  or  part  of  twelve  exceeding  six,  employed  in  the  Section.  Sitting 
with  these  at  the  meetings  of  each  Sectional  Cotmcil,  and  having  equal 
powers  with  them,  will  be  the  Manager  of  the  Department  with  the 
Head  and  Sub-Overlookers,  Monitors  or  Chargemen  of  the  particular 
Section.  Should  these,  however,  (including  the  Manager)  exceed  in 
number  the  workers'  delegates,  the  Members  of  the  Council  repre- 
senting the  Administration,  will  consist  of  the  Manager,  the  Head 
Overlookers,  together  with  as  many  of  the  Sub-Overlookers,  Charge- 
men  and  Monitors  (elected  by  ballot  amongst  themselves)  as  are 
required  to  make  up  a  number  equal  to  that  of  the  workers'  delegates. 
The  Manager  of  the  Department  will  be  ex-officio  Chairman  of  the 
Sectional  Councils.  He  will  not  have  a  casting  vote.  In  the  case  of  a 
drawn  vote  the  matter  would  be  submitted  to  me  as  Director  con- 
trolling the  Department.  But  a  decision  adverse  to  the  employees' 
delegates  will  not  prevent  the  Trade  Union  concerned  from  raising  the 
matter  subsequently  with  the  Company.      (See  p.  101.) 

In  addition,  there  will  be  one  delegate  appointed  by  each  Union 
concerned  (for  the  Men's  Sectional  Councils  from  the  Men's  Union, 
and  for  the  Women's  Sectional  Councils  from  the  Women's  Union), 
who  shall  be  allowed  to  speak,  but  shall  have  no  vote.  Such  delegates 
shall  be  deemed  to  hold  a  watching  brief  for  the  Union,  but  shall  be  in 
the  employment  of  the  Firm  and  working  in  the  Department,  and 
preferably,  though  not  necessarily,  in  the  Section. 

100 


It  is  intended  that  the  meeting  of  the  Sectional  Councils  shall  he 
held  on  a  fixed  day  once  a  week,  or  once  a  fortnight,  as  may,  in  prac- 
tice, be  found  necessary.  Full  Minutes  of  the  proceedings  will  be 
kept  by  the  Secretary  (who  will  be  Miss  Ruth  Slate  for  the  Women's 
Sections  and  Mr.  T.  W.  Brownless  for  the  Men's).  Matters  arising 
in  the  meetings,  affecting  the  Department  as  a  whole,  and  not  merely 
the  separate  Sections,  will  be  referable  to  the  Departmental  Council. 

Departmental  Council. 

The  Departmental  Council  will  be  a  distinct  body  from  the  Sec- 
tional Councils  and  will  consist  of  one  member  for  every  50  workers 
(or  part  of  50  exceeding  25),  with  an  equal  ntmiber  of  the  Adminis- 
trative Staff,  namely.  Manager,  Head  Overlookers.  Sub-Overlookers, 
Monitors  and  Chargemen.  Where  these  exceed  the  workers,  the  mem- 
bers representing  the  Administration  will  consist  of  the  Manager  and 
Head  Overlookers,  together  with  as  many  of  the  Sub-Overlookers, 
Chargemen,  and  Monitors  (elected  by  ballot  amongst  themselves),  as 
are  required  to  make  up  a  number  equal  to  that  of  the  workers' 
delegates. 

At  the  meetings  of  the  Departmental  Councils  there  will  also  be 
one  delegate  appointed  by  the  Union  representing  the  Men  and  one  by 
the  Union  representing  the  Women,  who  shall  be  allowed  to  speak, 
but  shall  have  no  votes.  Such  delegates  shall  be  deemed  to  hold  a 
watching  brief  for  the  Union,  but  shall  be  in  the  employment  of  the 
Firm  and  working  in  the  Department. 

Further,  the  Workers  will  be  entitled  to  have  the  attendance  of  a 
Permanent  Official  of  their  Union,  not  necessarily  in  the  employment 
of  the  Firm,  during  the  discussion  of  any  matter  on  which  they  con- 
sider it  essential  that  they  should  have  skilled  assistance  and  advice. 
Any  such  Official  attending  a  Departmental  Council  Meeting  shall 
withdraw  as  soon  as  the  matter  is  disposed  of  upon  which  his  or  her 
advice  has  been  required. 

Nothing  that  takes  place  at  a  Sectional  or  Departmental  Council 
shall  prejudice  the  Trade  Union  in  raising  any  question  in  the  ordinary 
way.  Questions  of  general  principle,  such  as  the  working  week,  wage 
standards  and  general  wage  rules,  shall  not  be  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Councils. 

The  meetings  of  the  Departmental  Council  will  be  held  once  a 
month  during  working  hours,  with  myself  as  Chairman  and  Mr.  Linney 
as  Secretary. 

No  decisions  of  the  Councils,  either  Sectional  or  Departmental, 
will  take  effect  until  confirmed  by  myself  or  another  Director. 

Qualifications  for  Voting  for  both  Sectional  and  Departmental 

Councils. 
All  male  employees  over  21  years  of  age  and  all  female  employees 
over  16,  who  have  been  employed  by  the  Firm  for  six  months  (whether 

101 


on  the  Regular  Staff  or  not),  will  be  eligible  to  vote  for  delegates  to 
both  the  Sectional  or  Departmental  Councils,  and  to  become  Members 
of  such  Councils.  Delegates  will  be  elected  to  serve  for  one  year. 
They  will  be  eligible  for  re-election  so  long  as  they  remain  in  the 
employment  of  the  Company.  No  deduction  will  be  made  from  the 
wages  of  Day-workers  for  the  time  occupied  as  delegates  in  attending 
the  Council  Meetings,  and  Pieceworkers  will  receive  an  average  wage 
for  the  time  so  occupied. 

Application  to  the  Almond  Paste  Department. 

Based   upon  the  aforementioned   constitution,  the   Sectional  and 
Departmental  Councils  in  the  Almond  Paste  Department  will  work  out 
as  follows : — 
Sectional. 

There  will  be  6  Sectional  Councils  as  under : — 
Women.    (1)    Bottoms  and  Centres. 

(2)  Pipers  and  Coverers. 

(3)  Makers. 

(4)  Packers  and  Labellers. 

Men.         (5)    Slab,  Machine  and  Boiling  (4th  Floor). 

(6)   Crystallizing  and  Piping  (5th  Floor),  Cage  and 
Carting  (3rd  Floor). 
The  number  of  delegates   for  each  of  these  Councils  will  work 
out  thus : — 

(1)  Bottoms  and  Centres.  no.  of  delegates. 

Bottoms — Room  2 2 

Bottoms — Room  1   2 

Centres — Room  1 3 

Centres — Room  2 1 

Total 8 

(2)  Pipers  and  Covers. 

Room  1 11 

Room  2    5 

Total  16 

(3)  Makers 6 

(4)  Packers  and  Labellers. 

Packers 9 

Labellers 1 

Total 10 

(5)  Slab,  Machine  and  Boiling  (4th  Floor) ....  5 

(6)  Crystallising  and  Piping  (5th  Floor) 6 

Cage  and  Carting  (3rd  Floor) 1 

Total 7 

102 


Method  and  Dates  of  Elections. 

In  order  to  facilitate  the  election  of  delegates,  a  list  of  employees 
eligible  to  vote  and  to  become  delegates  (men  of  21  years  of  age  and 
over,  and  girls  of  16  years  and  over,  who  have  been  employed  by  the 
Company  for  six  months)  is  now  hung  up  in  each  Section,  and  these 
are  asked  to  nominate  sufficient  delegates  for  their  particular  Section. 

Nomination  papers  will  be  hung  up  in  the  Department  and 
employees  eligible  to  vote  and  wishing  to  nominate  delegates  for  their 
Section,  should  make  out  ond  sign  one  of  these  papers,  and  place  it  in 
the  locked  box  fixed  in  the  Department  for  this  purpose.  A  voter  is 
at  liberty  to  nominate  as  delegate  any  other  voter  in  his  or  her  Section, 
provided  the  person  nominated  is  willing  to  stand  as  a  delegate.  The 
nomination  papers  will  be  collected  on  Thursday,  March  1st.  at  5.30, 
and  the  names  of  those  nominated  will  then  be  printed  upon  the  voting 
papers  which  will  be  given  out  on  Wednesday,  March  7th.  The  election 
of  delegates  will  take  place  on  Thursday,  Marcli  8th. 

Departmental. 

The  same  method  will  be  followed  in  the  Election  to  the  Depart- 
mental Council,  which,  however,  to  avoid  confusion,  will  not  take 
place  until  after  the  completion  of  the  Sectional  Council  Election. 
Nomination  papers  will  be  issued  on  Wednesday.  March  14th.  and 
collected  March  15th.  The  Election  will  take  place  on  Thursday, 
March  22nd. 

The  number  of  delegates  to  the  Departmental  Council  is  shown 
below : — 

Bottoms  and  Centres.  no.  of  delegates. 

Bottoms — Rooms  1  and  2 1 

Centres — Rooms  1  and  2 1 

Pipers  and  Coverers. 

Room  1    v3 

Room  2   1 

Makers 2 

Packers  and  Labcllers 3 

Slab,  Machine  and  Boiling  (4th  Floor)   1 

Crystallising  and  Piping  (5th  Floor)  and  Cage 

and  Carting  (3rd  Floor)   2 

Total 14 

It  is  intended  to  hold  the  first  Meetings  of  the  Sectional  Councils 
within  fourteen  days  and  the  Departmental  Council  within  one  month 
of  the  Elections. 

T.  H.  Appletox, 

(Director.  R.  &  Co..  Ltd.). 

103 


(U.)  A  Printing  Office. 

In  this  office  there  is  only  the  one  Chapel,  composed  at  present  of 
about  a  dozen  compositors.  In  larger  offices  there  are  usually  several 
Chapels.*  The  Chapel  meets  quarterly.  Any  member  may  call  a 
special  meeting  by  "placing  a  shilling  on  the  stone" ;  such  member  will 
say  to  the  Father  "I  call  Special  Chapel  at  6  o'clock  to-night."  If  his 
complaint  is  found  by  the  Chapel  to  be  a  frivolous  one  the  shilling  is 
forfeited.  The  meetings  are  held  in  the  office  at  closing  time.  In  the 
case  of  large  offices  there  may  not  be  a  room  big  enough  for  a  chapel 
meeting,  and  in  such  cases  meetings  are  held  outside.  It  is  the  duty  of 
the  Father  to  interview  the  head  of  the  firm  when  anything  is  wrong; 
to  report  to  the  General  Committee  of  the  Union  from  the  Chapel  and 
to  the  Chapel  from  the  General  Committee ;  to  see  that  subscriptions 
are  paid ;  to  interview  newcomers  regarding  membership  of  the 
Union,  &c. 

Piecework  is  not  now  in  operation  in  this  shop,  so  that  the  Chapel 
is  not  called  upon  in  this  connection  as  it  may  be  in  other  offices. 

The  employer  is  strongly  inclined  towards  regular  joint  meetings 
between  management  and  representatives  of  the  Chapel.  This  is  rather 
striking  because,  as  is  easy  in  so  small  an  establishment,  he  is  in  direct 
touch  with  each  of  his  men.  The  present  Father  (he  has  been  in  the 
office  for  only  a  few  months)  did  not  seem  to  have  entertained  the  idea 
of  the  need  for  such  meetings  in  this  office ;  he  referred  to  the  good 
conditions  and  relations  prevailing  in  the  office.  He  said,  however,  that 
in  bigger  offices  there  was  a  need  for  such  meetings,  and  he  was  pre- 
pared to  consider  the  applicability  of  them  to  this  office.  The  employer 
has,  in  an  informal  way,  for  a  long  time  held  meetings  with  the  present 
Father's  predecessor  and  one  or  two  others  of  the  Chapel.  He  would 
have  them  to  tea,  during  which  they  would  have  a  discussion  on  shop 
questions.  As  examples  of  the  kind  of  things  which  joint  meetings 
could  discuss,  the  employer  mentioned  the  following  points : — 

(1)  The  adjustment  of  work,  when  new  circumstances  arise; 
there  had  been  such  joint  discussions  when  recently  the  previous 
Father,  who  had  been  a  long  time  in  the  firm,  was  forced  to  leave. 

(2)  A  break  for  lunch  in  the  morning;  this  he  means  to  bring 
forward,  as  the  five  hours'  stretch,  though  in  accordance  with  the 
Union  agreements  and  the  general  practice,  is  too  long. 

(3)  As  an  example  of  how,  even  in  a  small  establishment 
(where  the  relations  obviously  are  friendly),  there  may  be  unnec- 
essary distance  between  employer  and  workmen,  he  mentioned  that 

*  For  example,  in  one  office,  there  are  chapels  of  compositors,  stereotypers, 
machine  minders,  m.achine  assistants,  warehousemen  and  certain  women  em- 
ployees. The  compositors  in  this  office  are  divided  among  several  departments 
each  of  which  has  its  local  father  while  the  father  of  the  compositors'  chapel 
is  colloquially  known  as  "imperial"  father.  The  compositors'  chapel,  as  is  usual, 
appoints  also  a  clerk  of  the  chapel.  The  father  of  the  chapel  among  the  women 
employees  is,  appropriately,  known  as  the  mother  of  the  chapel. 

104 


some  time  ago  he  gave  facilities  to  the  men  to  acquire  review  copies 
of  books.  This  was  greatly  appreciated  and  one  man  hajjpaned 
to  remark  that  he  had  often  hoped  some  such  arrangement  could 
be  made.  When  challenged  by  the  employer  fur  not  suggesting 
the  arrangement,  the  man  could  only  plead  that  it  wasn't  his  place. 
The  incident  was  quoted  as  probably  typical  of  many  situations  in 
which,  for  want  of  proper  arrangements,  the  atmosphere  clings 
even  to  the  very  best  firms  much  more  closely  than  might  other- 
wise be  the  case. 

(4)  The  employer  further  said  that  he  had  known  of  a  very 
serious  grievance  existing  in  a  large  office  of  which  the  l\ead  of  the 
firm  was  kept  ignorant.  He  had  informed  the  head  of  the  firm 
and  the  grievance,  which  had  been  causing  great  irritation  right 
through  the  shop,  was  instantly  remedied ;  it  should  not  have  been 
left  to  an  outsider — obtaining  the  information  onlv  by  chance  and, 
again,  only  by  chance  knowing  the  head  of  the  firm  concerned — 
to  be  the  avenue  of  information. 

In  regard  to  the  last  point  (4),  the  employer  was  emphatic  as  to 
the  necessity  for  the  heads  of  establishments  meeting  the  men's  repre- 
sentatives.    The  need  was  greater  the  larger  the  office.* 

(V)  Welfare  Committee  (or  Social  Union). 

1.  The  Works  Council  as  it  is  called,  (perhaps  it  may  rather  be 
termed  a  Welfare  Committee),  has  for  its  purpose  the  collection,  direct 
from  the  workers,  of  any  suggestions  for  the  improvement  of  their 
surroundings,  and  the  putting  of  such  suggestions."  in  the  form  of 
mature  proposals,  before  the  directors  for  their  approval.  It  is  not 
intended  that  these  suggestions  should  in  any  way  be  connected  with 
labour  conditions.  It  is  the  function  of  the  Council  to  deal  solely  with 
suggestions  relating  to  the  amelioration  of  the  surroundings  of  the 
men's  work. 

2.  The  Council  is  a  Joint  Council,  and  its  composition  is  as  fol- 
lows : — There  are  two  representatives  of  the  management  and  from 
19  to  21  of  the  workmen.  The  two  former  are  the  technical  director 
of  the  works,  who  acts  as  Chairman,  and  a  representative  manager! 
nominated  by  the  firm  from  the  sectional  managers.  The  honorary 
secretary  and  the  honorary  treasurer  of  the  Council  may  be  either  per- 
sons co-opted  by  the  Council,  or  representatives  of  the  workers  on  the 
Council  who  have  been  elected  by  the  Council  to  these  offices.     The 

*  The  same  need  for  regular  meetings  between  the  management  and  repre- 
sentatives of  the  employees  was  emphasised  by  the  manager  of  a  large  printing 
establishment.  He  has  from  time  to  time  held  meetings  with  the  foremen 
and  the  fathers  of  the  different  chapels  in  the  office  to  discuss  questions  of 
common  interest;  lately,  the  question  of  the  application  of  the  Whitley  Report 
and,  at  other  times,  shop  regulations,  sanitation,  &c. 

t  The  representative  manager  is  said  to  act  as  a  very  useful  link  between 
the  firm  and  the  workmen,  particularly  when  he  is  a  young  man  interested  in 
the  social   side  of  the   works. 

105 


representatives  of  the  men  are  elected  (by  ballot,  and  for  a  period  of 
3  years)  by  the  different  wards  into  which  the  works  is  divided  for 
electoral  purposes,  (19  in  number),  and  all  the  workers  in  the  establish- 
ment have  a  vote.  Some  of  the  wards  represent  working  departments 
{e.g.,  the  offices,  or  again  the  boilermakers  and  their  labourers)  ;  others 
are  artificial  creations.  These  artificial  creations  are  necessary  in  order 
that  representation  may  be  divided  equally  among  all  the  departments, 
without  any  neglect  of  small  sections  and  oddments  of  work.  Some  of 
the  wards  in  which  women  are  in  a  majority  are  represented  by  a 
woman;  on  the  whole  Council  there  are  16  men  representatives  and  3 
women. 

3.  The  Committee  has  been  in  existence  for  some  15  years.  As 
has  been  said,  its  function  is  to  deal  with  shop  amenities  or  works 
betterment.  This  includes  (a)  conditions  of  work  during  working 
hours,  and  {h)  social  activities  outside  working  hours.  Of  these  two 
the  latter  is  apparently  the  more  considerable,  and  thus — if  one  dis- 
tinguishes between  Works  Committee,  Welfare  Committee  and  Social 
Union — the  Works  Council  really  belongs  to  the  third  category  rather 
than  the  second.  The  Council,  under  this  head,  maintains  a  recreation 
ground,  for  the  purchase  and  equipment  of  which  money  was  advanced 
by  the  firm.  The  weekly  subscriptions  paid  by  the  men  form  at  once  a 
sinking  fund  to  extinguish  this  loan,  and  a  working  fund  to  meet  cur- 
rent expenses.  The  origin  of  the  Works  Council,  some  15  years  ago, 
was  connected  with  these  facts.  A  number  of  requests  had  come  from 
the  men  to  the  management,  asking  for  assistance  in  the  promotion  of 
sports,  and  the  advance  made  by  the  firm,  and  the  institution  of  the 
Works  Council,  both  sprang  from  these  requests. 

4.  The  Works  Council  thus  deals  in  large  measure  with  questions 
that  lie  outside  the  works.  Inside  the  works  its  scope  is  less  conider- 
able.  The  canteen,  for  instance,  is  under  the  control  of  the  firm,  which 
provides  meals  at  less  than  cost  price ;  the  Works  Council  only  deals 
with  the  amenities  of  the  canteen.  The  main  concern  of  the  Works 
Council  within  the  works  is  with  matters  such  as  ventilation,  sanitation, 
and  the  general  comfort  of  the  workers.  About  half-a-dozen  times, 
but  not  more,  questions  have  been  brought  up  at  the  Works  Council 
which  have  had  to  be  ruled  out.  Generally,  the  men's  representatives 
draw  a  careful  distinction  between  matter  belonging  to  the  Works 
Council  and  matters  belonging  to  the  sphere  of  Trade  Unionism.  There 
has  been  no  difficulty  with  Trade  Unions ;  on  the  contrary,  the  good 
feeling  engendered  by  the  Works  Council  has  led  to  easy  relations 
between  the  firm  and  Trade  Unions.  The  firm,  it  should  be  said, 
recognises  Trade  Unions,  and  deals  with  them  regularly. 

5.  It  may  be  added  that  while  the  Works  Council  has  nothing  to 
do  with  suggestions  for  improvements  in  the  works,  there  is  a  depart- 
mental arrangement  under  which  employees  can  make  suggestions.  In 
each  department  there  is  a  suggestion  box.  into  which  any  workman 

106 


can  drop  a  memorandum  of  his  suggestion;  tlie  memoranda  of  sug- 
gestions are  regularly  collected,  and  awards  of  prizes  are  made  for 
good  suggestions. 

6.  In  the  matter  of  meetings  and  procedure,  the  Works  Council 
meets  once  a  month,  sometimes  in  the  employer's  time  (in  which  case 
the  men  are  paid  during  the  time  of  their  attendance)  but  generally 
in  the  evening,  when  work  is  over  for  the  day.  There  is  a  regular 
agenda,  prepared  by  the  secretary,  containing  matters  brought  up  on 
the  reports  of  sub-committees  or  raised  by  individual  representatives. 

(W)  A  Miner's  Statement  on  Output  Committees.* 
The  following  statements  form  part  of  the  answer  by  a  miner 
working  in  the  area  of  the  Midland  Federation  to  the  Questionnaire 
printed  in  Appendix  I.  The  references  are  to  the  Output  (or  Absen- 
tee) Committees  in  his  district.  The  functions  of  these  Committees, 
as  in  other  districts,  are  concerned  with  two  matters — cases  of  absence 
from  work  and  facilities  for  increasing  output  (improvements,  negli- 
gence on  the  part  of  officials,  &c.)  : — 

1.  Origin. —  (/')  The  Joint  Comniitteet  found  out  that  output  was 
not  only  affected  by  absenteeism,  but  by  faulty  management,  and  they 
began  to  frame  rules  which  would  embrace  the  faults  of  the  manage- 
ment, as  well  as  the  workers'  negligence  in  absenteeism,  and  would  call 
the  Committees,  instead  of  Absentee  Committees,  Output  Committees, 
which  gives  wider  facilities  and  administration  in  working. 

(c)  The  meeting  of  representatives  of  employers  and  employed 
soon  became  lively  and  it  showed  the  intense  interest  that  was  taken 
in  the  Government  suggestions,  and  the  men  soon  pointed  out  to  the 
coal  owners  that  there  were  other  causes  which  caused  a  reduced  out- 
put of  coal  besides  absenteeism — the  faults  of  the  management  in 
allowing  the  miners  to  wait  for  timber,  no  facilities  in  taking  men  to 
their  work  and  bringing  them  back,  the  waiting  for  tubs  through 
scarcity  and  uneven  distribution  of  the  same.  If  they  were  going  to 
work  this  scheme  and  draw  up  rules,  they  must  bring  the  management 
in  as  well  as  the  men. 

The  coal  owners,  after  consultation,  decided  to  accede  to  the 
request  of  the  men  and  asked  them  to  withdraw  from  this  meeting,  take 
it  back  to  their  delegate  board  and  appoint  a  small  committee  to  draw 
up  rules  which  would  give  them  a  voice  in  the  management  of  the 
colleries  concerned. 

2.  Constitution — (d)  The  worker's  side  constitutes  a  separate 
Committee  only  so  far.  Just  to  illustrate  what  I  mean ;  if  there  is  a 
serious  case  which  has  to  be  brought  to  the  Joint  Committee  the 
worker's  side  will  meet  together  separately  before  going  to  meet  the 
management  side,  so  that  they  can  as  far  as  they  are  concerned  get 
agreement. 

*  For  Rules  of  these  Committees  in  another  district  see  p.  114. 
t  Sectional  joint  committees  of  the  miners. 

107 


{e)  They  are  duly  elected,  not  for  12  months  but  for  any  time. 
This  seems  to  me  a  ^eat  mistake.  They  ought  to  be  elected  every  12 
months,  as  some  of  them  have  lost  the  confidence  of  the  men,  and  it 
causes  discontent  and  friction;  annual  elections  would  make  for  con- 
fidence and  efficiency.  The  classes  represented  by  these  Committees 
are  miners,  datal,  haulage,  surface  workers,  who  are  manipulators  of 
coal.  I  might  say  it  would  have  been  better  when  the  rules  were  drawn 
up  if  it  had  been  stated  that  all  classes  must  be  represented.  You  have 
on  most  of  the  Committees  datal,  haulage,  and  surface  workers  without 
representation.  These  Committees  are  only  set  up  as  far  as  the  Miners' 
Federation  of  Great  Britain  are  concerned.  Shop  men,  shunters, 
labourers,  and  locomen  are  outside,  as  the  idea  amongst  the  coal  owners 
is  that  these  classes  of  workers  do  not  affect  the  output  of  coal. 

(/)  (i)  The  trade  unions  have  all  the  representation  as  far  as  the 
workers  are  concerned.  Of  course,  it  is  possible  for  the  men  at  the 
colliery  to  appoint  a  non-unionist,  but  he  would  be  a  rare  species. 

(ii)  No,  it  has  none;  it  can  suggest,  but  not  appoint;  this  is  left 
entirely  to  the  men.  In  one  colliery  they  refused  to  set  up  a  Pit  Com- 
mittee though  the  Miners'  Union  wanted  to  set  one  up  and  the  leaders 
held  meetings;  but  they  failed  to  persuade  the  men.  The  Coal  Con- 
troller was  pressing  the  Directors,  and  the  Directors  the  management, 
but  they  could  not  persuade  the  men ;  the  men  were  afraid  of  vicitmisa- 
tion  and  I  think  they  had  a  good  case.  Where  men  stood  by  their 
comrades,  they  were  soon  out  of  work  not  knowing  what  for,  only  the 
management  saying  ''inefficient." 

(iii)  The  trade  union  official  can  pay  a  visit  to  any  of  the  Com- 
mittees when  sitting  and  listen  to  all  the  business  and  see  whether  it  is 
being  conducted  in  the  interests  of  the  men,  or  to  see  fair  play  all 
round,  or  to  see  that  the  management  are  not  abusing  the  powers  set 
by  rule. 

(iv)  The  relationship  is  good  in  many  of  them,  but  there  are 
doubts  in  the  men ;  if  some  of  the  stewards  are  put  in  contracting  places 
and  coal  is  pretty  easy  to  get,  the  representatives  are  open  to  attack 
by  the  men  as  they  say  "you  would  not  have  such  a  soft  job  only  you 
have  been  acting  in  the  master's  interests" ;  and  some  of  them  play 
more  than  the  usual  time  allowed,  and  nothing  is  said.  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  if  a  strong  man  is  on  the  Committee  and  he  goes  in  for  pulling 
the  management  up  the  harmony  is  broken  a  good  deal ;  you  can  fine 
the  men  and  forgive  them,  but  when  you  come  to  the  management  it  is 
another  thing. 

(g)  They  are  chosen  by  the  Managing  Director;  he  asks  the 
Underground  Manager,  and  the  under-lookers,  or  deputies,  as  they  call 
them,  who  are  responsible  for  diflferent  coal  seams.  By  this  method  you 
get  an  all  round  representation  as  far  as  the  underground  workers  are 
concerned,  but  datal  and  surface  management  is  left  out. 

108 


I 


(;■)  I  will  be  most  frank  in  what  1  ha\e  j^ol  to  say  in  this  ini|.i)rtani 
question.  The  employing  side  want  no  change,  as  it  onlv  applio  n. 
absenteeism  as  far  as  they  are  concerned.  'J"hc  rules  give  the  men  a 
voice  in  the  management,  but  I  am  sorry  to  .say  there  is  no  Committee 
strong  enough  to  administer  the  rules  as  it  relates  to  management :  thev 
go  so  far  but  stop  as  they  see  an  invisible  pressure  being  brought  upon 
them  which  is  going  to  atTect  the  security  of  their  living,  a  kind  of 
victimisation  which  you  cannot  prove.  Your  contracting  place  is 
finished  and  you  want  another  place  but  the  management  sends  you 
"odding" — you  are  middle-aged  and  you  cannot  keep  pace  with  the 
younger  element ;  and  you  look  after  a  fresh  place,  but  every  where  is 
full  up.  and  when  you  come  out  of  the  office  yon  can  see  other  men  set 
on.  This  is  what  is  going  on  all  round  the  district,  and  you  want  to 
strengthen  these  men  by  having  the  rules  enacted  by  Act  of  Parliament 
to  make  them  binding;  and  if  cases  like  this  happen,  there  wants  to  be 
a  Tribunal  appointed  by  Government,  representative  of  all  classes,  so 
that  a  man  shall  have  a  fair  hearing  and  equality  of  justice ;  this  will 
give  him  a  security  and  it  will  reduce  this  insecurity  of  work. 

3.  Functions. —  (a)  iv.  The  suggestion  of  improvements  is  within 
the  scope  of  Committee  and  some  good  work  has  been  done,  which  has 
affected  the  output  of  coal  and  increased  the  wages  of  the  men. 

V.  None  of  these  points  are  dealt  with  by  our  Committee  or  onlv 
indirectly;  it  would  be  a  splendid  thing  if  these  points  were  dealt  with. 
There  is  more  friction  caused  under  these  heads  between  the  manage- 
ment and  the  men  than  under  any  other  points. 

Timekeeping. — The  management  promises  the  men  they  will  j^ut 
so  many  turns  to  their  credit  for  doing  certain  dead  work  in  the  mine, 
and  when  the  time  arrives  for  them  to  receive  the  wage  at  the  week 
end,  the  money  has  not  been  put  in  to  their  credit ;  so  the  men  often 
have  to  go  to  the  office  to  make  complaints,  with  a  promise  from  the 
management  it  will  be  in  for  next  week.  If  this  was  brought  before  a 
committee  of  this  standing,  a  more  harmonious  s]-/irit  would  be  brought 
to  bear  on  the  industry. 

Language. — The  language  by  some  of  the  management  to  the 
Avorkers  is  disgraceful  and  is  not  fit  for  any  child  in  the  pit  to  hear. 
This  point  can  come  before  the  Committee  but  I  have  not  known  of  any 
case  yet,  though  reports  have  been  made  to  the  leaders  of  the  men  and 
they  have  taken  up  the  cases.  In  one  case  I  know  the  men  refused  to 
go  to  work  until  the  management  were  removed,  but  wise  counsels 
prevailed  and  the  bitterness  was  removed. 

Methods  of  Foremen. — The  mining  industrv  requires  great  changes 
as  the  methods  of  the  foremen  are  at  fault  in  not  paying  for  dead  work, 
such  as  emptying  dirt,  or  packing  it ;  they  should  i)ay  for  so  many  tubs, 
but  if  1  or  2  tubs  are  over  the  stated  number  that  they  pay  for.  they 
reckon  them  nothing;  in  measuring  ripping,  instead  of  going  to  the 
widest  part  of  the  level  they  go  to  the  narrowest,  which  may  mean  to 

109 


the  man  a  difference  of  5s.  on  that  piece  of  work ;  in  not  seeing  to  a 
good  distribution  of  wagons  going  in  and  about  the  mine,  &c.  There 
is  a  splendid  scope  for  a  Committee,  but  ours  have  only  limited  powers 
as  far  as  the  methods  of  the  foremen  are  concerned. 

vii.  Canteen. — This  question  does  not  come  within  scope  of  our 
Committee,  but  one  large  colliery  has  a  canteen,  and  suggestions  have 
been  made  from  the  Committee  there  in  the  management  of  the  canteen. 
It  would  be  a  good  thing  for  a  colliery  to  have  a  canteen,  as  many  men 
are  called  upon  to  work  overtime  and  cannot  get  food,  and  they  work 
on  many  hours  without,  which  only  means  inefficiency.  In  the  colliery 
which  has  a  canteen,  the  men  can  get  a  good  meal  and  hot  drinks  at 
cost  price.  I  know  when  winter  time  comes  on  and  the  output  of  coal 
depends  on  the  surface  workers  sticking  to  their  work,  the  management 
have  rest  periods  for  individuals  and  the  management  gives  them  hot 
drinks  to  keep  them  at  it.  But  at  collieries  where  there  are  no  can- 
teens they  have  to  knock  off  on  account  of  the  weather. 

Sanitation. — Not  within  the  scope  of  our  Committee,  but  con- 
ditions are  awfully  bad. 

Works  Amenities. — Manners:  There  are  hardly  any  about  the 
collieries ;  the  management  have  an  idea  that  nothing  can  be  done  with- 
out swearing  and  shouting,  and  it  is  a  disgrace  lo  hear  it.  Some  man- 
agers are  extremely  nice,  but  they  are  very  rare. 

4.  Procedure. —  (a)  ii.  The  Committee  meets  once  a  week  where 
a  large  colliery  is  concerned  (say  1,000  to  2,000  employees),  but  where 
there  are  less  employees,  they  are  specially  summoned  by  notice  from 
the  Secretary  of  the  Committee. 

iii.  Yes,  the  worker  members  meet  separately,  but  only  when  the 
questions  are  vital  and  contentious. 

V.  They  take  place  in  the  workers'  time  and  the  employers'  time. 
The  meeting  is  called  for  1  o'clock.  The  management  allow  the  worker 
members  to  come  out  of  the  pit  before  the  time  but  at  their  own  (the 
workers')  expense,  and  the  Committee  sits  till  it  comes  into  the 
workers'  time  after  2  o'clock. 

vi.  It  generally  lasts  2  or  3  hours.  It  all  depends  on  how  many 
defendants  and  who  are  the  defendants. 

vii.  The  worker  members  are  paid  out  of  the  Trade  Union  funds 
at  the  rate  of  2s.  6d.  per  meeting.  This  causes  friction  as  it  is  costing 
the  Union  a  great  amount  of  money  and  they  feel  that  the  Government 
ought  to  pay  or  part  pay  for  this  work,  as  it  is  being  carried  on  in  the 
national  interests  to  secure  a  greater  output  of  coal.  Some  suggest 
that  the  management  ought  to  pay  half. 

5.  Relations  with  Trade  Unions. —  (b)  They  only  recognise  the 
Miners'  Union  as  far  as  the  jurisdiction  of  this  committee  is  concerned. 
They  (the  owners)  did  try  to  bring  offenders  in  from  other  unions, 
but  the  miners  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  them.* 

*  In  this  respect  the  practice  differs  from  that  of  the  timekeeping  committees 
at  the  Cleveland  and  Durham  blastfurnaces.     See  p.   117. 

110 


i 


6.  General — (a)  The  attitude  of  the  management  to  Committees 
is  fairly  good;  just  according  to  what  the  business  is.  If  it  apphes  to 
men  they  are  good,  but  when  it  appHes  to  the  management  the  feeling 
changes  a  little;  but  on  the  whole  it  is  good.  I  don't  know  of  any 
decisions  they  have  not  carried  out,  but  it  takes  them  a  long  time  to  do 
it;  when  they  promise,  your  tenacity  has  to  be  great. 

(f)  As  far  as  colliery  workers  are  concerned  separate  Committees 
are  not  needed  as  they  would  deal  with  all  questions  that  could  arise ; 
what  would  be  essential  would  be  to  see  that  all  grades  are  represented 
on  the  committee. 


111 


Appendix  III 

Summary  of  a  District  Investigation  in  the  Engineering  and 
Shipbuilding  Industries. 

Of  32  firms  in  the  engineering  and  shipbuilding  industries  in  one 
district  in  which  another  enquiry  was  made  as  to  the  existence  of 
Works  Committees,  eight  were  found  to  have  Works  Committees.  In 
addition,  one  had  a  Dilution  Committee,  one  a  Welfare  Committee, 
one  a  Women's  Committee  and  in  one  there  was  a  Shop  Committee. 
In  one  other  there  was  a  Works  Committee  until  recently.  Expressions 
of  opinion  as  to  the  value  of  Works  Committees  were  obtained  from 
18  to  32  employers.  Ten  expressed  themselves  in  favour  and  eight  as 
opposed  to  Works  Committees.  Of  the  ten  in  favour,  seven  now  have 
a  Works  Committee;  of  the  eight  opposed,  one  has  a  Dilution  Com- 
mittee and  one  a  Gunshop  Committee,  while  six  have  no  form  of 
Committee. 

The  following  are  notes  of  opinions  of  these  employers : — 

Favourable: — 

(1)  "Useful  work  in  the  outcome." 

(2)  "Committee  should  be  encouraged  .  .  .  .'  much 
depended  on  class  of  men  chosen  from  both  sides." 

(3)  "Applied  to  large  establishments  very  commendable." 

(4)  "If  established  generally  would  do  an  infinite  amount  of 
good." 

(5)  "Nothing  but  good  would  accrue  if  such  Committees  were 
general." 

(6)  "In  entire  sympathy." 

(7)  "Experience  is  a  very  happy  one  and  not  by  any  means 
one-sided  as  the  members  of  the  Committee  do  everything  possible 
to  render  assistance  to  the  firm." 

(8)  "Very  harmonious  relations  although  ....  griev- 
ances much  too  one-sided." 

(9)  "Perfectly  satisfied." 

Unfavourable : — 

(1)  "Encourages  men  to  leave  work  to  engage  in  business 
which  management  should  attend  to." 

(2)  "Power  is  taken  from  management  and  exercised  by  the 
men." 

(3)  "Simply  looking  for  trouble." 

(4)  "Advantage  would  be  taken  to  look  for  trouble." 

(5)  "Any  amount  of  friction  would  ensue." 

112 


I 


(6)  "Afraid  grievances  would  only  come  from  one  side  and 
little  endeavour  would  be  made  to  assist  the  nianag-cment  in  con- 
duct of  works." 

(7)  "Dealing  with  accredited  shop  stewards  entirely  satis- 
factory." 

Of  the  opinions  coming  under  "Favourable"  all  except  (3)  and 
(4)  are  from  establishments  which  have  Works  Committees ;  of  those 
coming  under  "Unfavourable"  (1)  is  from  an  establishment  in  which 
one  shop  has  a  Committee,  (2)  to  (7)  from  establishments  without 
Committees. 

The  opinions  of  sixteen  active  trade  unionists  emploved  in  the 
same  industries  in  this  district  also  show  differences.  Of  the  sixteen 
seven  are  employed  in  establishments  which  have,  or  in  one  have  had, 
a  Work  Committee,  and  nine  in  establishments  which  have  no  expe- 
rience of  a  Works  Committee.  Of  the  seven,  five  are  favourable  and 
two  unfavourable ;  of  the  nine,  four  favourable  and  five  opposed. 

This  investigation  would  appear  to  support  the  results  arrived  at 
in  the  report  that  the  majority  both  of  employers  and  of  workpeople 
with  experience  are  persuaded  of  the  benefits  of  Works  Committees. 


I 


11.3 


Appendix  IV 

JOINT  COMMITTEES  ON  ABSENTEEISM 

(A.)    (i)  Joint  Committees  at  Collieries  in  Northumberland — Rules. 

(ii)   Note  on  Committees  at  Collieries  in  other  districts. 
(B.)    (i)  Joint  Committees  at  Ironworks  in  Cleveland  and  Durham — 
Agreement. 

(ii)   Note  on  Working  of  these  Committees. 
(A.)    (i)  Joint  Committees  at  Collieries  in  Northumberland — 

Rules. 
Northumberland  Coal  Owners'  Association 

AND 

Northumberland  Miners'  Mutual  Confident 
Association. 

Rules  respecting  the  Formation  and  Procedure  of  Joint  Committees 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  greater  Regularity  of  Work  at  the 
Collieries. 

In  order  to  increase  the  output  of  coal  the  following  rules  are 
adopted  by  the  above-named  Associations : — 

1.  Where  workmen  are  unable  to  work  in  their  own  working 
places  such  persons  shall  work  in  other  places  where  there  are  vacancies 
in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  colliery.  If  no  such  places  are 
available  and  the  man  in  consequence  has  to  go  home,  he  shall  not  be 
returned  to  the  Authorities  as  an  Absentee  on  that  day. 

2.  Men  prevented  from  getting  to  their  work  at  the  proper  time, 
due  to  the  workmen's  train  or  car  being  late,  shall  on  its  arrival  be 
allowed  to  go  to  work. 

3.  All  deputations  shall  be  held  at  such  hours,  whenever  possible, 
as  will  cause  no  loss  of  time  to  the  members  of  such  deputations  or  the 
men  who  appear  with  them. 

4.  All  persons  shall  attend  every  day  on  which  the  pit  is  working 
unless  prevented  by  illness  or  other  reasonable  cause. 

5.  That  a  District  Committee  be  set  up  consisting  of  an  equal 
number  of  coal  owners'  and  workmen's  representatives. 

If  all  members  are  not  present,  only  an  equal  number  shall  vote 
on  each  side. 

6.  That  the  District  Committee  shall  meet  as  agreed  upon  for  the 
purpose  of  dealing  with  disputes  which  have  arisen  under  any  of  the 
Local  Committees  and  any  other  business,  except  in  the  event  of  urgent 
business,  in  which  case  a  meeting  may  be  called  on  the  representation 
of  either  side  to  specially  deal  with  the  matter. 

114 


7.  That  a  Local  Committee  shall  be  established  at  each  colliLMy, 
consisting  of  an  equal  number  (not  exceeding  three  each)  of  coal 
owners'  and  workmen's  representatives  to  carry  out  these  rules.  If 
all  members  are  not  present,  only  an  equal  number  shall  vote  on  each 
side. 

8.  The  Local  Committee  shall  meet  at  least  once  a  fortnight,  and 
the  management  shall  supply  a  "Time  Lost  Sheet,"  showing  the  names 
of  the  men  against  whom  there  is  a  complaint,  and  the  Local  Committee 
shall  decide  upon  whom  they  shall  summon  to  the  next  meeting. 

9.  The  men  who  are  called  upon  to  appear  before  the  Committee 
shall  have  at  least  two  days'  notice  given  to  appear.  Failing  to  attend 
they  will  be  dealt  with  in  their  absence,  and  the  method  of  giving  notice 
to  attend  shall  be  left  to  the  Committee  at  each  colliery. 

Meetings  are  to  take  place  so  that  men  may  attend  without  losing 
time. 

10.  The  Local  Committee  shall  be  empowered  to  impose  fines,  and 
the  persons  so  fined  shall  have  the  option  of  signing  a  book  for  such 
fines  to  be  deducted  or  to  be  dealt  with  by  the  management. 

(a)  If  the  first  method  is  selected  by  the  workman  and  he 
attends  and  works  full  time,  as  defined  by  Rule  4,  for  one  month 
after  the  fine  is  inflicted,  the  fine  to  be  returned  to  him. 

(b)  All  fines  not  so  redeemed  to  be  paid  over  to  some  chari- 
table institution  to  be  selected  by  the  Local  Committee. 

(c)  The  amount  of  fines  shall  be: — 

For  a  first  offence  for  which  a  fine  is  inflicted,  2s.  6d. 
per  day  of  avoidable  absence ;  a  second  oft'ence,  5s.  per  day. 
In  the  event  of  a  third  ofifence  the  case  to  be  dealt  with  at 
the  discretion  of  the  management. 

11.  The  Local  Committee  shall  report  to  the  District  Committee 
all  cases  in  which  they  fail  to  agree. 

12.  Excuses  for  absence  must  be  bona  fide,  and  where  an  absentee 
claims  he  was  away  owing  to  illness,  a  doctor's  note  must  be  produced 
if  demanded. 

13.  Any  official  responsible  for  the  workmen  losing  work  or  fail- 
ing to  do  his  best  to  get  work  for  them  shall  be  reported  to  the  Local 
Committee,  who  shall  investigate  the  circumstances,  and  if  the  charge 
appears  to  be  justified  the  case  shall  be  reported  to  the  Central  Com- 
mittee to  deal  with. 

14.  These  rules  to  continue  for  the  duration  of  the  war. 

Reginald  Guthrie, 
William  Straker, 

Secretaries. 
12th  February,  1917. 

115 


(A.)   (ii)  Note  on  Committees  at  Collieries  in  other  Districts. 

Committees  formed  on  very  similar  lines  have  been  set  up  in  other, 
but  not  in  all,  mining  districts.  The  statements  as  to  functions  and 
procedure  may  differ  in  certain  particulars.  (1)  Provision  is  some- 
times made  for  the  attendance  of  officials  of  the  miners'  and  owners' 
associationes  at  Pit  Committee  meetings.  (2)  The  scope  of  a  Pit  Com- 
mittee's functions  is  sometimes  stated  so  as  to  include  more  than 
appears  to  be  covered  by  Rule  13  above,  which  deals  with  officials 
"responsible  for  the  workmen  losing,  or  failing  to  do  his  best  to  get 
work  for  them."  The  functions  may  include  the  consideration  of 
facilities  for  output  and  the  suggestion  of  improvements,  apart  from 
cases  arising  under  the  circumstances  referred  to  in  Rule  13  above. 
This  is  commented  upon  in  the  report  printed  in  Appendix  II  (W). 
(3)  The  rules  vary  also  in  such  details  as  number  of  representatives, 
time  of  meetings,  and  amount  of  fines. 

The  results  achieved  differ  greatly  from  district  to  district.  In 
some  districts  no  Committees  have  been  set  up,  while  in  some  others, 
after  being  set  up,  the  Committees  have  either  failed  to  work  at  all  or, 
after  a  period  of  successful  operation,  have  weakened  and  been  aban- 
dond.  In  other  districts,  however,  the  Committees  have  continued  to 
work  satisfactorily,  improving  timekeeping  and  organisation  and 
increasing  the  output.  The  application  of  short  time  has  in  certain 
districts  made  the  need  for  the  Committees  less  urgent  and  an  estimate 
of  their  value  difficult.  Among  the  reasons  given  for  failure  to  insti- 
tute the  Committees  are  (1)  failure  of  employers  to  take  the  matter 
up,  and  (2)  the  younger  men's  dislike  for  the  scheme;  and  for  failure 
to  work  satisfactorily  (1)  the  failure  of  employers  to  carry  out  agree- 
ments about  Sunday  work  &c..  and  (2)  simple  inability  of  the  two 
sides  to  agree. 

(B.)    (i)  Joint  Committees  at  Ironworks  in  Cleveland  and 

Durham. 

Agreement  setting  up  Works  Committees  to  deal  with 
Cases  of  Time-Losers. 

This  Scheme  has  been  suggested  by  the  Ministry  of  Munitions  and 
accepted  by  the  Cleveland  Ironmasters'  Association  and  the  Cleve- 
land Blastfurnacemen' s  Association,  in  order  to  avoid  the  neces- 
sity of  taking  men  before  the  Munitions'  Tribunals.  The  Agree- 
ment will  come  into  operation  on  Sunday  the  \2th  day  of  August, 
1917,  at Ironworks. 

1.  At  each  works  in  the  Ironmasters'  Association  there  shall  be 
set  up  a  Committee  consisting  in  the  first  instance  of  three  workmen 
employed  at  the  works. 

116 


2.  The  appointment  of  the  three  workmen  (one  of  wliom  must 
be  the  delegate)  shall  rest  with  the  Cleveland  and  Durham  Blast fur- 
nacemen's  and  Cokemen's  Association. 

3.  The  Cleveland  Ironmasters'  Association,  or  any  individual 
member  thereof,  may.  at  any  future  time,  and  at  the  request  of  the 
Cleveland  Blast furnacemen's  Association  must,  also  appoint  to  the 
Committee  three  employer  representatives  for  each  works  or  for  such 
of  the  w^orks  as  are  affected,  and  such  representatives  shall  have  equal 
powers  and  duties  with  the  workmen's  representatives. 

4.  So  long  as  the  Committee  consists  of  three  representatives,  two 
shall  form  a  quorum ;  if  the  Committee  consists  of  six  representatives, 
four  shall  form  a  quorum. 

5.  There  shall  also  be  created  a  Central  Committee  consisting  of 
six  persons,  three  of  whom  shall  be  appointed  by  the  Cleveland  Iron- 
masters' Association,  and  three  by  the  Cleveland  Blastfurnacemen's 
Association;  four  to  form  a  quorum. 

6.  The  duties  and  the  powers  of  the  Works  Committee  shall  be : — 

(a)  To  inquire  fully  into  every  case  brought  by  the  Manager 
of  the  Works  of  alleged  bad  time-keeping  on  the  part  of  any  work- 
man employed  at  the  works  under  his  charge. 

(b)  To  give  warning  and  advice  to  any  workman  who  may 
appear  to  need  it. 

(c)  To  inflict,  subject  to  the  provisions  of  the  Truck  Acts, 
such  penalty  or  fine  as  in  the  judgment  of  the  Committee  the  case 
shall  merit,  such  fine  not  to  exceed  20s.  in  any  one  instance. 

(d)  In  the  case  of  repeated  offences,  to  transmit  the  facts 
and  evidence  to  the  judgment  of  the  Central  Committee. 

(e)  In  the  event  of  the  Works  Committee  being  equally 
divided  in  their  judgment  on  any  case,  the  same  shall  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  Central  Committee  for  decision. 

(/)  Each  \\^orks  Committee  shall  have  power  to  reduce  or 
remit  altogether  any  fine  imposed  by  the  Committee,  if  the  offend- 
er's conduct  during  the  four  weeks  succeeding  the  hearing  of  his 
case  justifies  any  variation  in  the  original  penalty. 

7.  The  duties  and  the  powers  of  the  Central  Committee  shall  be : — 

(a)  To  review  all  the  facts  and  evidence  in  connection  with 
any  case  which  may  be  submitted  to  it  by  Works  Committees,  and, 
if  it  so  decides,  to  impose  upon  the  offender,  subject  to  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Truck  Acts,  a  fine  not  exceeding  40s.,  or  to  submit 
the  case  to  the  judgment  of  the  Ministry  of  Munitions. 

(b)  To  make  regulations  for  the  guidance  of  the  Works 
Committees. 

8.  Fines  shall  be  deducted,  subject  to  the  provisions  of  the  Truck 
Acts,  from  the  wages  due  to  the  workmen  penalised,  and  unless 
remitted  by  the  end  of  four  weeks  from  date  of  deduction,  shall  be 

117 


handed  over  to  some  fund  at  the  works  where  the  offender  is  employed 
to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  the  workmen  or  their  dependants,  or  be 
handed  over  to  some  agreed  upon  local  charity. 

9.  The  regulations  herein  shall  apply  by  agreement  to  all  work- 
men members  of  the  Cleveland  Blastfurnacemen's  Association.  Any 
workman  outside  the  Cleveland  Blastfurnacemen's  Association,  and 
employed  at  the  Ironmasters'  works,  may  submit  his  case  for  judg- 
ment to  the  Committees  if  he  so  desires  and  be  bound  by  the  decision 
given. 

10.  Each  Employer  party  to  this  arrangement  shall  authorise  one 
of  his  clerical  staff  to  act  as  Secretary  to  the  Works  Committee,  and 
such  person  shall  keep  a  record  of  the  decisions  given  by  the  Com- 
mittee for  the  particular  works  and  shall  transmit  at  the  end  of  each 
calendar  month  a  record  of  such  decisions  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Central  Committee  and  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Cleveland  Blastfurnace- 
men's Association. 

11.  The  Committees  under  this  scheme  shall  exist  so  long  as 
Munition  Tribunals  under  the  Munitions  of  War  Act  continue  to 
operate,  but  the  regulations  may  be  varied  at  the  end  of  six  months  on 
the  application  of  either  party  hereto. 

12.  The  requisite  agreements  to  be  made  immediately  by  the  two 
Associations  concerned  for  enabling  the  Committees  to  exercise  the 
powers  and  perform  the  duties  specified  above. 

13.  The  Arbitration  Act,  1889,  shall  not  apply  to  any  proceedings 
under  this  agreement. 

Signed  on  behalf  of  the  Cleveland  Ironmasters'  Association. 

J.  T.  Atkinson. 

Secretary. 

Signed  on  behalf  of  the  Cleveland  and  Durham  Blastfurnacemen 
and  Cokemen's  Association. 

Thos.  McKenna, 

Secretary. 
Middlesbrough, 

July  24th,  1917. 

(B)  ii.  Note  on  Working  of  These  Committees. 

It  is  agreed  on  both  sides  that  these  Committees  have  worked  very 
satisfactorily ;  both  employers  and  employees  regard  the  Works  Com- 
mittees as  a  far  better  means  of  investigating  and  settling  questions  of 
this  character  than  that  of  taking  the  men  before  the  Munitions 
Tribunals.  Some  twenty-eight  Committees,  all  of  them  joint  in  mem- 
bership, have  been  set  up,  but  it  has  not  been  necessary  for  all  of  them 
to  meet.  The  Central  Committee  had  not  met  up  to  the  end  of  Janu- 
ary. 1918.  though  two  or  three  cases  had  been  recently  filed  for  that 
Com.mittee.      A   Works  Committee   is  generally   unanimous  about   its 

118 


decision — whether  or  not  a  fine  should  be  imposed,  or  the  amount  of 
the  fine.  In  a  large  proportion  of  cases,  more  than  half,  a  reduction 
or  remission  of  fines  has  been  allowed  in  accordance  with  section  6  (/). 
Those  workmen  who  are  not  members  of  the  union  usually  avail  them- 
selves of  section  9  of  the  Agreement  to  submit  their  cases  to  the  Works 
Committee. 


119 


Appendix  V 

NATIONAL  AND  DISTRICT  SCHEMES— SHOP  STEWARDS. 

(A)  Memorandum  of  Conference  between  the  Engineering  Employers' 
Federation  and  thirteen  Trade  Unions. 

(B)  Clyde  Shipyards  Joint  Trades'  Vigilant  Committee. 

(C)  Coventry  Engineering  Joint  Committee — Shop  Rules. 

The  following  schemes  are  printed  as  further  illustrations  of  the 
problem  discussed  in  Section  VI.  of  the  Report — "Relations  with  Trade 
Unions."  (A)  is  the  agreement  come  to  in  December,  1917,  between 
representatives  of  the  Engineering  Employers'  Federation  and  of  thir- 
teen Trade  Unions.  (B)  is  a  Trade  Union  district  scheme  of  organisa- 
tion of  Shop  Stewards  and  Works  Committees  instituted  before  the 
war.  (C)  gives  the  proposals  put  forward  by  the  Coventry  Engineer- 
ing Trades'  Joint  Committee  for  their  district  before  the  negotiations 
which  resulted  in  (A)  were  initiated. 

(A)    Memorandum    of    Conference    between    the    Engineering 
Employers'  Federation  and  thirteen  Trade  Unions.* 
It  is  mutually  agreed  to  recommend  as  follows : — 

Regulations  Regarding  the  Appointment  and 
Functions  of  Shop  Stewards. 

With  a  view  to  amplifying  the  provisions  for  avoiding  disputes  it 
is  agreed : — 

1.  The  workmen  who  are  members  of  the  above  Trade  Unions, 
employed  in  a  Federated  establishment,  may  appoint  representatives 
from  their  own  number  to  act  on  their  behalf  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  this  Agreement. 

2.  The  representatives  shall  be  known  as  Shop  Stewards. 

3.  The  method  of  election  of  Ship  Stewards  shall  be  determined 
by  the  Trade  Unions  concerned,  and  each  Trade  Union,  parties  to  this 
Agreement,  may  appoint  Shop  Stewards. 

4.  The  names  of  the  Shop  Stewards,  and  the  shop  or  portion  of  a 
shop  in  which  they  are  employed,  and  the  Trade  Union  to  which  they 
belong,  shall  be  intimated  officially  by  the  Trade  Union  concerned  in 
the  management  on  election. 


*  Steam  Engine  Makers'  Society,  Society  of  Amalgamated  Toolmakers,  &c., 
U.  K.  Society  of  Amalgamated  Smiths  and  Strikers,  National  Society  of 
Amalgamated  Brassfounders  and  Metal  Mechanics,  Associated  Blacksmiths  and 
Iron  Workers'  Society,  Workers'  Union,  National  Amalgamated  Union  of 
Labour,  United  Machine  Workers'  Association,  Elestrical  Trades  Union,  United 
Journeymen  Brassfounders,  &c.,  Amalgamated  Society  of  Coremakers,  National 
Union  of  General  Workers,  and  National  Amalgamated  Union  of  Enginemen,  &c. 

120 


5.  Shop  Stewards  shall  be  subject  to  the  control  of  the  Trade 
Unions,  and  shall  act  in  accordance  with  the  rules  and  regulations  of 
the  Trade  Unions  and  agreements  with  the  employers  so  far  as  these 
effect  the  relation  between  employers  and  workpeople. 

6.  In  connection  with  this  Agreement,  Shop  Stewards  shall  be 
afforded  facilities  to  deal  with  questions  raised  in  the  shop  or  portion 
of  a  shop  in  which  they  are  employed.  In  the  course  of  dealing  with 
these  questions  they  may,  with  the  previous  consent  of  the  manage- 
ment (such  consent  not  to  be  unreasonably  withheld),  visit  any  other 
shop  or  portion  of  a  shop  in  the  establishment.  In  all  other  respects 
they  shall  conform  to  the  same  working  conditions  as  their  fellow- 
workmen. 

7.  Employers  and  Shop  Stewards  shall  not  be  entitled  to  enter 
into  any  agreement  inconsistent  with  agreements  between  the  Engineer- 
ing Employers'  Federation  or  Local  Association  and  the  Trade  Unions. 

8.  The  functions  of  Shop  Stewards,  so  far  as  they  are  concerned 
with  the  avoidance  of  disputes,  shall  be  exercised  in  accordance  with 
the  following  procedure  : — 

(a)  A  workman  or  workmen  desiring  to  raise  any  question  in, 
which  he  or  they  are  directly  concerned,  shall  in  the  first  instance 
discuss  the  same  with  his  or  her  foreman. 

(b)  Failing  settlement,  the  question  shall,  if  desired,  be  taken 
up  with  the  management  by  the  appropriate  Shop  Steward  and 
one  of  the  workmen  directly  concerned. 

(c)  If  no  settlement  is  arrived  at,  the  question  may,  at  the 
request  of  either  party,  be  further  considered  at  a  meeting  to  be 
arranged  between  the  management  and  the  appropriate  Shop 
Steward,  together  with  a  deputation  of  the  workmen  directly 
concerned.  At  this  meeting  the  Organising  District  Delegate  may 
be  present,  in  which  event  a  representative  of  the  Employers' 
Association  shall  also  be  present. 

(d)  The  question  may  thereafter  be  referred  for  further 
consideration  in  terms  of  the  Provisions  for  Avoiding  Disputes. 

(e)  No  stoppage  of  work  shall  take  place  until  the  question 
has  been  fully  dealt  with  in  accordance  with  this  Agreement  and 
with  the  Provisions  for  Avoiding  Disputes. 

9.  In  the  event  of  a  question  arising  which  affects  more  than  one 
"branch  of  trade,  or  more  than  one  department  of  the  works,  the  nego- 
tiations thereon  shall  be  conducted  by  the  management  with  the  Shop 
Stewards  concerned.  Should  the  number  of  Shop  Stewards  concerned 
exceed  seven,  a  deputation  shall  be  appointed  by  them,  not  exceeding 
seven,  for  the  purpose  of  the  particular  negotiation. 

10.  Negotiations  under  this  agreement  may  be  instituted  either 
hy  the  management  or  by  the  workmen  concerned. 

121 


11.  The  recognition  of  Shop  Stewards  is  accorded  in  order  that  a 
further  safeguard  may  be  provided  against  disputes  arising  between 
employers  and  their  workpeople. 

12.  Any  questions  which  may  arise  out  of  the  operation  of  this 
Agreement  shall  be  brought  before  the  Executive  of  the  Trade  Union 
concerned,  or  the  Federation,  as  the  case  may  be. 

(B)  Clyde  Shipyards  Joint  Trades'  Vigilant  Committee.* 

1.  This  Committee  shall  consist  of  Trade  Unions  representative 
of  the  workmen  employed  in  the  Clyde  Shipyards. 

2.  Its  object  shall  be  to  endeavour  to  adjust  all  complaints  of  a 
general  character,  endeavour  to  secure  uniformity  in  the  conditions 
of  employment  of  the  members  and  strengthen  and  perfect  the  organi- 
sations of  the  affiliated  Unions. 

(a)  By  representatives  of  the  Society  affected  at  once  report- 
ing the  matter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Yard  Vigilant  Committee. 

(b)  By  insisting  that  all  non-union  members  of  the  respec- 
tive trades  shall  become  members  of  their  Trade  Union. 

(c)  By  dealing  with  any  member  of  an  affiliated  Union  who 
fails  to  keep  himself  in  compliance  with  the  Rules  of  his  Union. 

Yard  Vigilance  Committees. 

3.  A  Vigilance  Committee  shall  be  appointed  in  each  yard  or  dock, 
composed  of  one  representative  from  each  Society  affiliated.  Societies 
having  more  than  one  section  of  workmen  shall  be  entitled  to  one 
representative  from  each  section. 

4.  The  Committee  shall  appoint  a  Secretary  to  whom  all  com- 
plaints shall  be  lodged  by  members  of  the  Committee. 

5.  Each  Shop  Steward  must  examine  the  contribution  cards  of  the 
members  of  their  own  societies  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  each  month, 
and  interview  new  starts  immediately  after  starting. 

6.  The  Committee  will  meet  at  least  monthly. 

7.  Representatives  of  each  society  must  attend  and  report  to  the 
Committee  as  to  the  condition  of  the  members  under  his  supervision. 

8.  On  receipt  of  a  complaint,  the  Committee  shall  endeavour  to 
effect  a  settlement  by  interviewing  the  foreman  or  management.  Fail- 
ing adjustment  the  matter  must  then  be  reported  to  tlie  Secretary  of 
the  Central  Board. 

9.  The  machinery  of  each  society  for  dealing  with  such  questions 
must  first  be  exhausted  before  reporting  to  the  Yard  Vigilant  Com- 
mittee. 


*  The  first  meeting  was  held  on  the  14th  February,  1911.  A  similar  organisa- 
tion in  Engineering — The  West  of  Scotland  Locomotive  and  General  Engineering 
Joint  Trades'  Vigilant  Committee — was  instituted  in  September,  1914.  It  had 
then  been  under  consideration  for  some  months. 

122 


10.  The  Secretary  must  send  in  his  official  report  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Central  Board  on  the  second  last  Thursday  of  March,  June, 
September,  and  December. 

11.  Should  any  member  of  the  Yard  \  igiiant  Committee  be  penal- 
ised for  taking  part  in  the  work  of  the  Committee,  such  cases  must  be 
immediately  reported  to  the  Secretary  and  taken  up  jointly. 

12.  Where  the  Secretary  of  the  Committee  has  been  changed,  the 
name  and  address  of  his  successor  must  be  forwarded  to  the  Secre- 
tary^ of  the  Central  Board. 

13.  Expenses  incurred  by  the  Committee  for  room  rent,  station- 
ery and  postages,  will  be  met  by  Central  Board.  All  such  accounts 
must  be  sent  quarterly  to  the  Secretary  and  submitted  to  the  Central 
Board  for  approval. 

14.  Under  no  circumstances  can  the  Yard  Vigilant  Committee 
authorise  a  stoppage  of  work,  either  of  a  partial  or  general  nature. 

Arrears. — Members  over  10.?.  in  arrears  must  reduce  same  at  the 
rate  of  2s.  6d.  per  week;  I5s.  5s.,  per  week;  and  20s.,  lOs.  for  the  first 
week  and  5s.  per  week  thereafter. 

Central  Board. 

15.  A  Central  Board  shall  be  appointed  and  shall  consist  of  a 
responsible  representative  of  each  Union  affiliated.  Societies  having 
separate  sections  administered  separately  shall  be  entitled  to  one  repre- 
sentative from  each  section. 

16.  Their  duties  shall  be  to  see  that  a  Vigilant  Committee  is 
appointed  in  each  yard  or  dock,  and  deal  with  all  complaints  remitted 
to  them  by  the  Yard  Committees. 

17.  They  shall  annually  elect  a  Chairman  and  Secretary  from 
amongst  their  number,  the  latter  to  act  as  Treasurer. 

18.  The  Secretary  on  receiving  a  complaint  from  a  Yard  Com- 
mittee, may,  after  consultation  with  the  Chairman  of  the  Central  Board 
and  the  representative  of  the  Trade  directly  concerned,  endeavour  to 
get  the  matter  adjusted,  failing  which  the  Central  Board  will  be 
convened. 

19.  Before  any  stoppage  of  work  takes  place,  the  consent  of  the 
Central  Board  of  this  Committee  must  be  obtained. 

20.  To  meet  expenses  the  Central  Board  shall  make  a  call  upon 
each  society  affiliated  for  such  sum  as  may  from  time  to  time  be 
agreed  upon. 

21.  Meetings  of  the  Central  Board  will  be  held  on  the  last  Friday 
of  each  quarter,  or  oftener  if,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Chairman  and 
Secretary,  such  is  necessary. 

123 


(C)  Coventry  Engineering  Joint  Committee* 
Shop  Rules  and  Instructions  for  Stczmrds. 

1.  That  the  Coventry  Engineering  Joint  Committee  shall  be  the 
Executive  Committee  over  all  Shop  Stewards  and  Works  Committees 
affiliated.  Any  change  of  practice  in  any  shop  or  works  must  receive 
the  consent  of  the  Joint  Engineering  Committee  before  being  accepted 
by  the  men  concerned. 

2.  That  all  nominees  for  Shop  Stewards  must  be  members  of 
Societies  affiliated  to  the  Coventry  Engineering  Joint  Committee. 

3.  Stewards  shall  be  elected  by  ballot  for  a  term  not  exceeding 
six  months ;  all  retiring  Stewards  to  be  eligible  for  re-election. 

4.  Each  section  shall  be  able  to  elect  a  Steward,  irrespective  of 
Society. 

5.  The  Stewards  of  each  department  shall  elect  a  Chief  Steward. 

6.  The  Chief  Stewards  of  departments  shall  constitute  the  Works 
Committee,  who,  if  exceeding  12  in  number,  can  appoint  an  Executive 
Committee  of  seven,  including  Chairman  and  Secretary. 

7.  All  Stewards  shall  have  an  official  Steward's  Card  issued  by 
Joint  Committee. 

8.  Each  Steward  on  being  elected,  and  the  same  endorsed  by  his 
Society,  the  Joint  Committee  Secretary  shall  send  him  an  official  card. 

9.  The  Steward  must  examine  any  man's  membership  card  who 
starts  in  the  shop  in  his  section.  He  should  then  advise  the  man  to 
report  to  his  respective  Secretary,  and  give  him  any  information 
required  on  rates  and  conditions,  &c.  There  shall  be  a  show  of  cards 
every  month  to  ascertain  if  every  member  is  a  sound  member,  and  if 
any  member  is  in  arrears  (eight  weeks)  he  must  report  same  to  the 
Chief  Steward. 

10.  If  there  is  any  doubt  of  any  man  not  receiving  the  district 
rate  of  wages,  the  Steward  can  demand  to  examine  pay  ticket. 

11.  Any  member  accepting  a  price  or  time  basis  for  a  job  must 
hand  record  of  same  to  his  Section  Steward,  who  shall  keep  a  record 
of  times  and  prices  on  his  section  of  any  work,  and  hand  the  same  to 
Chief  Shop  Steward. 

12.  The  Chief  Steward  shall  keep  a  record  of  all  times  and  prices 
recorded  to  him  by  sections  of  his  department.  On  a  section  being  not 
represented  he  shall  see  to  the  election  of  Steward  for  such  section. 

*  The  twenty-one  societies  affiliated  are: — Friendly  Society  of  Ironfounders, 
Steam  Engine  Makers,  United  Machine  Workers,  Amalgamated  Society  of 
Engineers,  Amalgamated  Toolmakers,  Smiths  and  Strikers,  Brassworkers  and 
Metal  Mechanics,  Coppersmiths,  United  Brass  Finishers,  Electrical  Trades 
Union,  Boilermakers,  Coremakers,  Patternmakers,  United  Coach  Makers,  Pro- 
gressive Tin  Plate  Workers,  National  Federation  of  Women  Workers,  National 
Union  of  Clerks,  Amalgamated  Carpenters  and  Joiners,  General  Union  of 
Carpenters  and  Joiners,  London  and  Provincial  Coach  Makers,  and  Amalgamated 
Wood  Cutting  Machinists. 

124 


13.  Any  grievance  arising  on  any  section  must  be  reported  to  Chiel' 
Shop  Steward,  who  shall,  with  Steward  on  section  and  man  concerned, 
interview  foreman  or  manager.  Failing  redress,  the  Chief  Steward 
then  to  report  to  the  Works  Committee. 

14.  The  Works  Committee  shall  be  empowered  to  take  any  case 
of  dispute  before  the  management,  not  less  than  three  to  act  as  depu- 
tation. 

15.  On  the  Works  Committee  failing  to  come  to  any  agreement 
with  the  management,  they  must  immediately  report  to  the  Engineer- 
ing Joint  Committee,  who  shall  take  up  the  matter  with  the  firm  con- 
cerned, a  representative  of  the  Works  Committee  to  be  one  of  the 
deputation.  It  is  essential,  pending  negotiations,  that  no  stoppage  of 
work  shall  take  place  without  the  sanction  of  the  Engineering  Joint 
Committee. 

16.  A  full  list  of  all  Shop  Stewards  must  be  kept  by  the  Joint 
Committee.  Any  change  of  Stewards  must  be  reported  to  the  Joint 
Committee's  Secretary. 

17.  The  Joint  Committee  shall  be  empowered  to  call  meetings  of 
Stewards  at  any  works,  also  meetings  of  all  Chief  Stewards  in  the 
district  when  the  Joint  Committee  so  decides,  if  necessary. 

18.  If  at  any  time  of  dispute  the  Engineering  Joint  Committee 
decides  upon  the  withdrawal  of  its  members  from  any  firm  or  firms, 
the  Steward  shall  be  issued  a  special  official  badge  from  this  Committee 
with  the  idea  of  assisting  to  keep  order,  if  necessary,  in  the  interests 
of  the  members  concerned. 


125 


Appendix  VI 

MINISTRY  OF  RECONSTRUCTION. 

Committee  on  Relations  between  Employers  and  Employed. 
Supplementary  Report  on  Works  Committees. 

To  the  Right  Honourable  D.  Lloyd  George,  M.P.,  Prime  Minister. 
Sir, 

In  our  first  and  second  Reports  we  have  referred  to  the  establish- 
ment of  Works  Committees,*  representative  of  the  management  and 
of  the  workpeople,  and  appointed  from  within  the  works,  as  an  essen- 
tial part  of  the  scheme  of  organisation  suggested  to  secure  improved 
relations  between  employers  and  employed.  The  purpose  of  the  present 
Report  is  to  deal  more  fully  with  the  proposal  to  institute  such  Com- 
mittees. 

2.  Better  relations  between  employers  and  their  workpeople  can 
best  be  arrived  at  by  granting  to  the  latter  a  greater  share  in  the  con- 
sideration of  matters  with  which  they  are  concerned.  In  every  industry 
there  are  certain  questions,  such  as  rates  of  wages  and  hours  of  work, 
which  should  be  settled  by  District  or  National  agreement,  and  with 
any  matter  so  settled  no  Works  Committee  should  be  allowed  to  inter- 
fere ;  but  there  are  also  many  questions  closely  affecting  daily  life  and 
comfort  in,  and  the  success  of,  the  business,  and  affecting  in  no  small 
degree  efficiency  of  working,  which  are  peculiar  to  the  individual 
workshop  or  factory.  The  purpose  of  a  Works  Committee  is  to 
establish  and  maintain  a  system  of  co-operation  in  all  these  workshop 
matters. 

3.  We  have  throughout  our  recommendations  proceeded  upon  the 
assumption  that  the  greatest  success  is  likely  to  be  achieved  by  leaving 
to  the  representative  bodies  of  employers  and  employed  in  each  indus- 
ary  the  maximum  degree  of  freedom  to  settle  for  themselves  the  pre- 
cise form  of  Council  or  Committee  which  should  be  adopted,  having 
regard  in  each  case  to  the  particular  circumstances  of  the  trade ;  and, 
in  accordance  with  this  principle,  we  refrain  from  indicating  any 
definite  form  of  constitution  for  the  Works  Committees.  Our  pro- 
posals as  a  whole  assume  the  existence  of  organisations  of  both 
employers  and  employed  and  a  frank  and  full  recognition  of  such 
organisations.  Works  Committees  established  otherwise  than  in  accord- 
ance with  these  principles  could  not  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  the 
scheme  we  have  recommended,  and  might  indeed  be  a  hindrance  to  the 


*  In  the  use  of  the  term  "Works  Committees"  in  this  Report  it  is  not  intended 
to  use  the  word  "works"  in  a  technical  sense;  in  such  an  industry  as  the  Coal 
Trade,  for  example,  the  term  "Pit  Committees"  would  probably  be  the  term 
used  in  adopting  the  scheme. 

126 


development  of  the  new  relations  in  industry  tc  which  we  look  for- 
ward. We  think  the  aim  should  be  the  complete  and  coherent  organi- 
sation of  the  trade  on  both  sides,  and  Works  Committees  will  be  of 
value  in  so  far  as  they  contribute  to  such  a  result. 

4.  We  are  of  opinion  that  the  complete  success  of  Works  Com- 
mittees necessarily  depends  largely  upon  the  degree  and  efficiency  cf 
organisation  in  the  trade,  and  upon  the  extent  to  which  the  Commit- 
tees can  be  linked  up,  through  organisations  that  we  have  in  mind, 
with  the  remainder  of  the  scheme  which  we  are  proposing,  viz.,  the 
District  and  National  Councils.  We  think  it  important  to  state  that 
the  success  of  the  Works  Committees  would  be  very  seriously  inter- 
fered with  if  the  idea  existed  that  such  Committees  were  used,  or 
likely  to  be  used,  by  employers  in  opposition  to  Trade  Unionism.  It 
is  strongly  felt  that  the  setting  up  of  Works  Committees  without  the 
co-operation  of  the  Trade  Unions  and  the  Employers'  Associations  in 
the  trade  or  branch  of  trade  concerned  would  stand  in  the  way  of  the 
improved  industrial  relationships  which  in  these  Reports  we  are 
endeavouring  to  further. 

5.  In  an  industry  where  the  workpeople  are  unorganised,  or  only 
very  partially  organised,  there  is  a  danger  that  Works  Committees 
may  be  used,  or  thought  to  be  used,  in  opposition  to  Xrade  Unionism. 
It  is  important  that  such  fears  should  be  guarded  against  in  the  initia- 
tion of  any  scheme.  We  look  upon  successful  Works  Committees  as 
the  broad  base  of  the  Industrial  Structure  which  we  have  recom- 
mended, and  as  the  means  of  enlisting  the  interest  of  the  workers  in 
the  success  both  of  the  industry  to  which  they  are  attached  and  of  the 
workshop  or  factory  where  so  much  of  their  life  is  spend.  These 
Committees  should  not,  in  constitution  or  methods  of  working,  dis- 
courage Trade  organisations. 

6.  Works  Committees,  in  our  opinion,  should  have  regular  meet- 
ings at  fixed  times,  and.  as  a  general  rule,  not  less  frequently  than 
once  a  fortnight.  They  should  always  keep  in  the  forefront  the  idea 
of  constructive  co-operation  in  the  improvement  of  the  industry  to 
which  they  belong.  Suggestions  of  all  kinds  tending  to  improvement 
should  be  frankly  welcomed  and  freely  discussed.  Practical  proposals 
should  be  examined  from  all  points  of  view.  There  is  an  undeveloped 
asset  of  constructive  ability — valuable  alike  to  the  industry  and  to 
the  State — awaiting  the  means  of  realisation ;  problems,  old  and  new, 
will  find  their  solution  in  a  frank  partnership  of  knowledge,  experience 
and  goodwill.  Works  Committees  would  fail  in  their  main  purpo.se 
if  they  existed  only  to  smooth  over  grievances. 

7.  We  recognise  that,  from  time  to  time,  matters  will  arise  which 
the  management  or  the  workmen  consider  to  be  questions  they  cannot 

127 


discuss  in  these  joint  meetings.  When  this  occurs,  we  anticipate  that 
nothing  but  good  will  come  from  the  friendly  statement  of  the  reasons 
wthy  the  reservation  is  made. 

8.  We  regard  the  successful  development  and  utilisation  of  Works 
Committees  in  any  business  on  the  basis  recommended  in  this  Report 
as  of  equal  importance  with  its  commercial  and  scientific  efficiency; 
and  we  think  that  in  every  case  one  of  the  partners  or  directors,  or 
some  other  responsible  representative  of  the  management,  would  be 
well  advised  to  devote  a  substantial  part  of  his  time  and  thought  to  the 
good  working  and  development  of  such  a  committee. 

9.  There  has  been  some  experience,  both  before  the  war  and  dur- 
ing the  war,  of  the  benefits  of  Works  Committees,  and  we  think  it 
should  be  recommended  most  strongly  to  employers  and  employed  that, 
in  connection  with  the  scheme  for  the  establishment  of  National  and 
District  Industrial  Councils,  they  should  examine  this  experience  with 
a  view  to  the  institution  of  Works  Committees  on  proper  lines,  in 
works  where  the  conditions  render  their  formation  practicable.  We 
have  recommended  that  the  Ministry  of  Labour  should  prepare  a  sum- 
mary of  the  experience  available  with  reference  to  Works  Committees, 
both  before  and  during  the  war,  including  information  as  to  any  rules 
or  reports  relating  to  such  Committees,  and  should  issue  a  memoran- 
dum thereon  for  the  guidance  of  employers  and  workpeople  generally, 
and  we  understand  that  such  a  memorandum  is  now  in  course  of 
preparation.* 

10.  In  order  to  ensure  uniform  and  common  principles  of  action, 
it  is  essential  that  where  National  and  District  Industrial  Councils 
exist  the  Works  Committees  should  be  in  close  touch  with  them,  and 
the  schemes  for  linking  up  Works  Committees  with  the  Councils  be 
considered  and  determined  by  the  National  Councils. 

11.  We  have  considered  it  better  not  to  attempt  to  indicate  any 
specific  form  of  Works  Committees.  Industrial  establishments  show 
such  infinite  variation  in  size,  number  of  persons  employed,  multiplicity 
of  departments,  and  other  conditions,  that  the  particular  form  of 
Works  Committees  must  necessarily  be  adapted  to  the  circumstances 
of  each  case.  It  would,  therefore,  be  impossible  to  formulate  any 
satisfactory  scheme  which  does  not  provide  a  large  measure  of 
elasticity. 

*  The  reference  is  to  the  present  Report. 

128 


We  are  confident  that  the  nature  of  the  particular  organisation 
necessary  for  the  various  cases  will  be  settled  without  difficulty  by  the 
exercise  of  goodwill  on  both  sides. 

We  have  the  honour  to  be.  Sir, 

Your  obedient  Servants.* 

J.    H.    Whitley,    Chairman. 

F.  S.  Button. 
S.  J-  Chapman. 

G.  H.   ClAUGHTON. 

J.  R.  Clynes. 

F.  N.  Hepworth. 

Wilfrid  Hill. 

j.  a.  hobson. 

A.  Susan  Lawrence. 

Maurice  Levy. 

J.  J.  Mallon. 

Thos.  R.  Ratcliffe-Ellis. 

Allan  M.  Smith. 

D.  R.  H.  Williams. 

Nona  Wilson. 
H.  J.  Wilson,    | 
A.  Greenwood,  j 

ISth  October,  1917. 


*  Sir  G.  J.  Carter  and  Mr.  Smillie  were  unable  to  attend  any  of  the  meetings 
at  which  this  Report  was  considered  and  they  therefore  do  not  sign  it.  Sir 
G.  J.  Carter  has  intimated  that  in  his  view,  in  accordance  with  the  principles 
indicated  in  paragraphs  3,  4  and  S  of  the  Report,  it  is  important  that  Works 
Committees  should  not  deal  with  matters  which  ought  to  be  directly  dealt  with 
by  the  firms  concerned  or  their  respective  Associations  in  conjunction  with  the 
recognised  representatives  of  the  Trade  Unions  whose  members  are  affected. 


129 


Appendix  VII 

SCHEME  OF  LOCAL  JOINT  PITS  COMMITTEES. 

The  following  scheme  has  recently  been  introduced.  It  is  par- 
ticularly interesting  as  an  attempt  to  apply  the  ideas  of  the  Whitney 
Report  to  part  of  the  coal-mining  industry. 

ToiNT  Committee  of  Representatives  of  the  Lancashire  and 
Cheshire  Coal  Association,  and  the  Lancashire  and 
Cheshire  Miners'  Federation. 

Resolved:  That  the  Joint  Committee  recommend  the  establish- 
ment, with  the  least  possible  delay,  of  Local  Joint  Pit  Committees  at 
the  various  Collieries  in  the  two  Counties,  and  that  the  functions  af 
the  Committees  shall  be  those  set  out  below,  and  that  the  Rules  of 
Procedure  also  set  out  below  should  be  adopted. 

The  functions  exercisable  by  the  Local  Joint  Pits  Committees  and 
the  Rules  of  Procedure  for  the  conduct  of  the  business. 

1.  The  Title  of  the  Committee  shall  be  "The  Local  Joints  Pits 
Committee." 

2.  The  Committee  shall  exercise  the  following  functions : — 

(a)  To  investigate  and  report  to  Manager  cases  of  shortage 
of  tubs. 

(b)  To  investigate  and  report  anything  interfering  with  the 
possibilities  of  output,  such  as  poor  haulage,  blocked  or  congested 
roadways. 

(c)  To  investigate  and  report  to  Manager  complaints  of 
minimum  wage  and  abnormal  places  allowances. 

(d)  To  stimulate  regular  attendance  and  report  to  Manager 
persistent  absentees. 

(e)  Generally  to  investigate  and  report  to  the  Manager  any- 
thing else  which  in  their  opinion  is  interfering  with  the  satis- 
factory working  of  the  mine. 

(/)  Any  other  functions  which  may  from  time  to  time  be 
delegated  to  them  by  the  Joint  Committee. 

3.  The  Committee  shall  consist  of  not  less  than  three,  nor  more 
than  five  representatives  of  the  employers,  and  an  equal  number  of 
representatives  of  the  workmen  employed  at  the  mine.  The  Manager 
of  the  mine  shall  be  the  Chairman. 

4.  The  members  of  each  class  of  representatives  present  shall 
form  a  quorum. 

130 


5.  The  respective  representatives  on  the  ("omniitlce  shall  cii-h 
appoint  one  of  their  number  to  act  as  Secretary. 

6.  Meetings  of  the  Committee  shall  be  held  once  a  month.  Pro- 
vided that  a  Special  Meeting  may  be  held  at  any  time  at  the  rc(|ucst 
of  the  whole  of  the  members  of  either  side  given  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  other  side.  Five  days'  notice  to  be  given  of  any  meeting,  ordinary 
or  special ;  and  the  Agenda  of  the  business  to  be  considered  at  the 
meeting  to  be  submitted  by  the  Secretaries  to  each  member  of  the 
Board  with  the  notice  calling  the  meeting.  No  business  to  be  trans- 
acted at  any  meeting  other  than  that  on  the  agenda.  No  matter  shall 
be  placed  on  the  agenda  without  an  opportunity  having  been  i)re- 
viously  given  to  the  officials  of  the  mine  of  dealing  with  it. 

7.  The  proceedings  of  each  Committee  shall  be  taken  and  trans- 
cribed in  duplicate  books,  and  each  book  shall  be  signed  by  the  two 
Secretaries  at  the  meeting  at  which  such  minutes  are  read  and  con- 
firmed. One  copy  of  such  minutes  shall  be  kept  by  each  of  the  Secre- 
taries. The  Secretaries  shall  also  conduct  the  correspondence  for  the 
respective  parties,  and  conjointly  for  the  Committee. 

8.  In  the  event  of  any  matter  arising  which  the  Committee  cannot 
agree  upon,  and  failing  agreement  between  the  Manager  and  the  local 
Federation  Agent,  the  difference  shall  be  submitted  to  the  Joint  Dis- 
trict Committee,  whose  decision  shall  be  final. 

9.  Each  party  shall  pay  and  defray  the  expenses  of  its  own  repre- 
sentatives and  Secretary. 

Dated  this  Eleventh  day  of  February,  1918. 

Lionel  E.  Pilkington, 

President  of  the  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Coal  Association 
and  of  the  Joint  Committee. 

Thomas  Greenall, 

President  of  the  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Miners'  Federa- 
tion, and  Vice-President  of  the  Joint  Committee. 

Thos.  R.  Ratcliffe-Ellis, 

Secretary  of  the  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Coal  Association, 
and  of  the  Joint  Committee. 

Thomas  Ashton, 

Secretary  of  the  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  Miners'  Federa- 
tion, and  of  the  Joint  Committee. 


131 


...IBHARY. 

»LOS  ANQELES.  CALiF. 


traylord  tiros. 

Makers 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


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